News Release
Woman’s Injury was Inflicted During Altercation Prior to Arrest by Police; SIU Terminates Toronto Investigation
Case Number: 20-TCI-196
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 39-year-old woman last month in Toronto.
On the morning of August 6, 2020 – in the area of Bay Street and Queen Street in front of Nathan Phillips Square – Toronto Police Service officers arrested a woman in relation to an altercation that had occurred between her and a man. When the woman complained of a sore hand, she was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with a small fracture in her left wrist.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, which included interviews with two independent civilian eyewitnesses and cell phone video recordings, I am satisfied there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned vis-à-vis the woman’s injury. The evidence establishes that the woman’s injury was inflicted in the course of a physical altercation that prompted and preceded her arrest at the hands of the police on the morning of the day in question. Accordingly, 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