News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Toronto Crash
Case Number: 09-TVI-002
Other News Releases Related to Case 09-TVI-002
On January 3, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. a TPS officer attempted to stop a reportedly stolen car in the area of Yonge Street and Dundas Street. The officer activated the emergency equipment on his police car, but the driver of the car did not stop. The officer followed the car along Dundas Street until it was held up by heavy traffic at University Avenue. The officer got out of his police car, approached the vehicle, and ordered the driver,
42 year old Richard Audit, to get out. Instead of getting out of the car Mr. Audit drove the car back and forth. A number of citizens' vehicles were struck during this process. Mr. Audit was able to emerge from the traffic and began to drive away. The officer was dragged a short distance by the car before he fell to the pavement and sustained minor injuries.
Mr. Audit drove south on University Avenue, but lost control of the car in the area of Queen Street. The car struck a concrete planter in the boulevard. Mr. Audit sustained a broken leg in the crash.
The Director of the SIU Ian Scott said, "There are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer involved in this matter committed a criminal offence in relation to the motor vehicle accident involving Mr. Audit. The officer was attempting to apprehend Mr. Audit who was reportedly driving a stolen car. Mr. Audit did not comply with the officer's demand to leave the car and attempted to escape, ultimately crashing the vehicle into a cement planter on the University Avenue boulevard, fracturing his leg in the process." Director Scott added, "Mr. Audit chose to ignore the officer's lawful demands and injured himself in the ensuing flight. I am satisfied on reasonable grounds that the officer cannot be held criminally liable for Mr. Audit's injuries."
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