News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Arrest of Man in Barrie
Case Number: 20-OCI-154
At approximately 10:45 p.m. on June 26, 2020, Barrie Police Service (BPS) officers attended a residence on Bayview Drive for a domestic disturbance. A man was arrested, taken into custody and lodged in a cell at the Barrie Police Service station. While in his cell, the man was observed to grab his throat area.
On June 27, 2020 at approximately 12:12 a.m., Emergency Medical Services was contacted and the man was transported to hospital where he required surgery to his throat area. Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is evident that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in relation to the man’s injury, which was caused by a third-party prior to his arrest on the day in question. In the circumstances, the SIU investigation is hereby discontinued and the file, 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