News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Interaction at Barrie Hospital
Case Number: 20-PCI-185
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an incident that occurred in July of 2020.
On July 25, 2020, a 24-year-old woman was arrested for having allegedly assaulted another person at the Elmvale Jungle Zoo in Phelpston. While under arrest, the woman was said to have made comments suggesting suicidal ideation and was therefore taken for assessment to the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie. At the hospital, the woman became violent towards the officers and she was arrested and charged.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, which included a review of medical records, I am satisfied that the case should be closed at this time. The medical records do not establish that the woman suffered any “serious injury” within the SIU’s mandate. Regrettably, while the SIU made repeated efforts to secure further medical records from the woman regarding additional assessment in the days after the incident, she has not provided those releases. In the circumstances, as the information made available to the SIU does not indicate any serious injury, the SIU is presently without jurisdiction in my view to proceed with its investigation. 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