News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Collision Between Bicycle and Police Vehicle in Presqu’ile Provincial Park
Case Number: 20-PVI-155
In the morning of June 27, 2020, a 56-year-old man was riding a bicycle in Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton when he became involved in a collision with an unmarked Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) vehicle. The impact sent the man and his bicycle tumbling to the ground, resulting in him sustaining a serious injury. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer operating the OPP vehicle committed a criminal offence in connection with the collision and the man’s injury.
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