News Release
Woman Sustained Hand Injury After Punching Metal Door at Police Station; SIU Terminates London Investigation
Case Number: 20-OCI-313
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injuries sustained last month by a 45-year-old woman in London.
At approximately 1 a.m. on November 18, 2020, the woman was arrested at a London hotel for being intoxicated in a public place and for outstanding arrest warrants. London Police Service officers transported the woman to the police station. During the booking process, the woman approached a metal bay door and punched the door once with her right hand. She was transported to hospital where she was diagnosed with several broken bones in the upper section of her right hand.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU preliminary inquiries, it is apparent that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in connection with the woman’s injury. As is clearly depicted in relevant video recording, the woman is alone responsible for the injury. 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