News Release
Criminal Charges not Warranted in Relation to Woman’s Arrest in Guelph
Case Number: 19-OCI-238
On September 30, 2019, Guelph Police Service (GPS) officers attended a residence and placed a 32-year-old woman under arrest for the offences of assault and mischief to property, contrary to the Criminal Code. Following her arrest, the woman was transported to the GPS station and lodged in a cell. She was later transported to hospital where she was diagnosed as having sustained a fracture to one of her ribs. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any of the involved police officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the woman’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