News Release
Man Arrested in Ottawa for Outstanding Warrant Held by Smith Falls Police Service; No Criminal Wrongdoing on Part of Ottawa Police Service Officers
Case Number: 19-OCI-230
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on September 16, 2019, a 43-year-old man was arrested by Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officers on an outstanding warrant held by the Smith Falls Police Service (SFPS). The man was transported to the OPS station, where he was held pending the arrival of SFPS officers. When the man was picked up by the SFPS, the officers noticed that he had swelling and bruising to his left eye and cheek. The man alleged that an OPS officer had struck him during his arrest. The man was taken to hospital where a CT scan revealed that he had sustained a comminuted fracture involving the wall of the left orbit. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined the evidence establishes that the man was not assaulted during the course of his arrest, nor was any force used against him by either of the police officers involved in his arrest. As such, no charges will issue and this file is closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations