News Release
Man’s Injury a Result of Jumping from Balcony; SIU Terminates London Investigation
Case Number: 20-OCI-071
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the injury sustained by a 30-year-old month in London in April.
At approximately 10 p.m. on April 2, 2020, London Police Service officers attended the man’s residence following a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance. Prior to their arrival at the third-floor apartment, the man scaled from the unit’s balcony down to the second-floor balcony beneath it before jumping to the ground below and injuring his right foot in the process. The man was subsequently arrested without incident.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, there is patently nothing to further investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in connection with the man’s injury. On this record, it is obvious that no one but the man is responsible for his self-inflicted injury. Consequently, 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