News Release
SIU Discontinues Hamilton Investigation
Case Number: 21-OCI-128
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the apprehension of a woman in March by Hamilton Police Service officers.
Following an incident at her place of employment on March 11, 2021, a 30-year-old woman was apprehended by HPS officers under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital. The woman later filed a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) alleging that she had suffered a fractured wrist in the course of the interaction. The OIPRD shared this information with HPS, which then notified the SIU on April 21, 2021.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, I am satisfied that the investigation should be discontinued at this time. While a measure of force appears to have been used by police to effect her arrest, the woman’s medical records establish that she did not, in fact, suffer any fractures, or any other serious injury that would trigger the SIU’s statutory jurisdiction. Accordingly, as this matter does not fall within the mandate of the SIU, the file is hereby 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