News Release
No Basis to Charge Officer in Relation to Injury Sustained by Woman at Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie
Case Number: 20-OCI-170
On the morning of July 13, 2020, a 54-year-old woman was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital. After the woman had been admitted into a secure room, a nurse entered the room to sedate the woman with an injection. As the needle made contact with the woman’s arm, she jumped up and advanced on the nurse, who backed away toward the door. A Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officer who was standing outside the room advised the woman to step back into the room. A struggled ensued until the woman was restrained and sedated with the help of hospital staff. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the broken right wrist the woman suffered.
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