News Release
Man Dislocated Shoulder After Jumping Fence; SIU Terminates Chatham-Kent Investigation
Case Number: 20-OCI-097
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an April incident that occurred in Chatham-Kent.
On the afternoon of April 28, 2020, a Chatham-Kent Police Service officer was operating a police vehicle when he observed a pickup truck that had been reported stolen. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren, signaling for the driver to pull over. The driver failed to stop and instead turned to travel westbound on Selkirk Street at a high rate of speed. The officer discontinued the pursuit, stopping and shutting down his siren and emergency lights near the intersection of Selkirk Street and Victoria Avenue. The driver of the pickup truck turned southbound on Hillyard Street and stopped on a lawn. He then exited the vehicle and fled on foot running through residential backyards and jumping over fences. Shortly after, the 34-year-old man surrendered to police. When the man complained of pain, he was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with a right dislocated shoulder.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries to date, I am satisfied that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in connection with the man’s injury. The man’s injury occurred when he jumped from a fence and fell. On this record, there is no nexus between the conduct of any police officer and the man’s dislocated shoulder. Accordingly, the investigation is hereby discontinued, and the file is closed.”
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