News Release
SIU Discontinues Belleville Investigation
Case Number: 21-OCI-055
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the hospitalization of a 34-year-old man last month in Belleville.
On the afternoon of February 20, 2021, the man entered a store on North Front Street in Belleville and caused a disturbance. As a result, an employee of the store contacted the police. Before officers with the Belleville Police Service arrived, the man had been ushered out of the store by another store employee. Once outside the store, the man – who was unsteady – fell several times on the slippery surface outside, banging his head in the process. Attending officers spoke with the man, and he was taken to hospital by paramedics. The man was reportedly intubated and spent time in the ICU.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, I am satisfied that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned vis-à-vis the man’s hospital admission. On this record, it is plain and obvious that no police officer caused or contributed to whatever condition resulted in the man’s admission to hospital. 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