News Release
No Charges to Issue in Pickering Arrest
Case Number: 19-OCI-249
On October 11, 2019, Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) officers were dispatched to a residence in Pickering following a 911 call from the home reporting that a man was in possession of a knife, and there was concern about his behavior. Upon their arrival, the officers saw the 63-year-old man outside his residence and holding the knife. When the man would not drop his knife after being repeatedly asked to do so, an officer discharged his conducted energy weapon at the man. The man was arrested and transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured wrist. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that a DRPS committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injury.
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