News Release
Youth in Yarker Sustained Injury after Jump from Balcony; SIU Terminates Investigation
Case Number: 20-PCI-327
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained in November by a 16-year-old male in Yarker.
On the evening of November 27, 2020, Ontario Provincial Police officers with the Lennox and Addington detachment were dispatched to a residence on McQauy Road for domestic-related incident. Just as officers were arriving at the residence, the teenager made his way to a second-floor balcony and jumped from it to the ground below. He was transported to hospital where he was treated for a left foot fracture.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, I am satisfied there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in connection with the youth’s injury. At no point had there been any interaction between any police officer and the youth. As it is apparent on this record that he is alone responsible for his injury, the SIU 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