News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Man’s Arrest in Moosonee
Case Number: 20-PCI-219
In the morning of September 2, 2020, Ontario Provincial Police attended a residence in Moosonee to arrest a 58-year-old man. While officers were at the door, the man locked himself in a bathroom armed with a box cutter-type knife. The officers entered the home and began to speak with the man through the bathroom door, encouraging him to disarm himself and exit. There ensued a standoff over the next several hours, until officers were able to obtain a warrant allowing them to force the bathroom door open. As the officers entered, the man took the knife he was holding and cut himself several times. An officer discharged his conducted energy weapon at the man, and he was arrested. The man was transported to hospital for treatment. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injuries.
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