News Release
SIU Discontinues Thunder Bay Investigation
Case Number: 20-OCI-238
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the arrest last month of a 24-year-old man in Thunder Bay.
On the night of September 25, 2020, a man became involved in a dispute with his girlfriend. He then proceeded to repeatedly punch the driver’s side of his pickup truck. Officers with the Thunder Bay Police Service arrived at the residence and arrested the man for assault. When it was noticed that the man’s right hand was swollen, he was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured right hand.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is evident that the man is alone to blame for his broken hand, caused when he punched his truck several times. On this record, as there is patently nothing to further investigate regarding the potential criminal liability of any police officer in connection with the man’s fracture, 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