News Release
Man Alone was Responsible for Fall Through Glass Roof of Greenhouse; SIU Terminates Hanover Investigation
Case Number: 21-OCI-031
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained last month by a 33-year-old man in Hanover.
On the afternoon of January 23, 2021, the man, while in lawful custody at the Hanover and District Hospital on the strength of the Mental Health Act, fled from the hospital and made his way to the grounds of the nearby vacant John Diefenbaker Secondary School. Attached to one side of the school was a greenhouse that consisted of glass panels. As a police cruiser approached, the man climbed to the top of the greenhouse to evade capture. Soon after, the glass panel below him gave way and the man fell to the floor below. Notwithstanding his fall and injury, the man picked himself up, left the greenhouse and attempted to hide in the school’s basement. He was quickly located by Hanover Police Service officers and transported to hospital for treatment of injuries.
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 man’s injury. When he climbed to the roof of the greenhouse and fell, no police officer was in the vicinity. 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