News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Teenager’s Arrest in Leamington and Subsequent Hospitalization
Case Number: 20-PCI-106
On May 6, 2020, a 17-year-old male was sent to hospital from the Ontario Provincial Police Leamington Detachment, where he was in custody, for treatment of an apparent drug overdose. The officer who had earlier arrested the teenager and lodged him in cells was identified as the subject officer for purposes of the SIU investigation. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the male’s arrest and subsequent admission to hospital.
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