News Release
Man’s Injury a Result of Jumping from City of Toronto Pool Fence; SIU Discontinues Investigation
Case Number: 20-TCI-193
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 23-year-old man in Toronto in August.
Shortly after 11 p.m. on August 2, 2020, two Toronto Police Service officers arrived in a cruiser at the Alex Duff Memorial Pool to investigate a complaint of people swimming in the pool, which was closed at the time. At the sight of the cruiser, one of the individuals who had gained access to the pool scaled the pool fence to get away from the officers. Once at the top of the fence, the man jumped and landed approximately 4.75 metres below. He was diagnosed with a broken femur.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary investigations, it is apparent that the man is alone responsible for his injury. As there is no suggestion on the aforementioned-record of any conceivable criminality by the officers in relation to the man’s self-inflicted injury, there is patently nothing further to investigate as far as the SIU’s jurisdiction is concerned. 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