News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Arrest of Man in Thunder Bay
Case Number: 20-OCI-067
On the morning of March 24, 2020, a Thunder Bay Police Service officer observed a vehicle being driven by a 32-year-old man. The man was in breach of a driver’s licence suspension and a non-communication / no-contact court order with respect to another individual. When the man parked, the officer approached and took him into custody. The man was subsequently taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured right hand. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and 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