News Release
Force Used to Arrest Man in Richmond Hill was Excessive, but SIU Unable to Attribute Force to Any One or More Identifiable Officers
Case Number: 20-TCI-024
On February 2, 2020, officers with the Toronto Police Service Emergency Task Force and the Major Crime Unit arrived at a home in Richmond Hill to execute a search warrant. The police had reason to believe that the residence was being used to confine the victim of a kidnapping being held for ransom. Upon entering the home, the hostage was located and two individuals were arrested. In the course of his arrest, a 28-year-old man sustained multiple facial fractures and a fractured spine. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are reasonable grounds to believe that excessive force was used, but he is unable to attribute said force to any one or more identifiable ETF officers. As such, there is no basis for proceeding with charges in this case.
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