News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Apprehension of Woman in Whitby
Case Number: 20-OCI-339
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the apprehension of a 35-year-old woman in Whitby in June of 2018. On December 3, 2020, the woman contacted the SIU to report she had suffered a shoulder injury in the course of her apprehension.
In the early morning hours of June 23, 2018, paramedics and Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) officers had been dispatched to a Whitby residence following a 911 call reporting that a woman was in distress and had self-harmed. Following a period of negotiation, the woman eventually agreed to accompany the paramedics to hospital. As she was making her way to the ambulance, however, the woman ran back toward her building. Two DRPS officers intervened, handcuffed the woman and took her to hospital.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, I am satisfied that the SIU is presently without jurisdiction to investigate this matter. A review of the woman’s medical records fails to confirm the presence of a right shoulder injury proximate to the events in question. In the circumstances, there being no “serious injury” within the terms of the SIU’s statutory mandate, 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