News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Arrest of Man in Downtown Thunder Bay Parking Garage
Case Number: 20-OCI-046
On February 29, 2020, Thunder Bay Police Service officers were dispatched after police received a 911 call from an individual indicating that a man was armed with a hunting knife and breaking windows in the area of May Street South. Officers located the 45-year-old man and confronted him. The man was non-responsive and continued to walk away from the officers as the officers followed at a distance. Armed with the knife, the man then made his way to the Victoriaville Mall and the Civic Centre, eventually entering the parking garage. Officers located the man when he was heard to be moaning. He had fallen from a height and suffered multiple fractures. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injuries and arrest.
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