News Release
Police Did Not Contribute to Man’s Injury Sustained When He Jumped from Balcony; SIU Terminates Waterloo Investigation
Case Number: 21-OCI-160
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an incident last month in Waterloo.
On the morning of Thursday, May 20, 2021, Waterloo Regional Police Service officers attended a multi-story, residential apartment building on Lester Street in Waterloo for an investigation. Upon hearing loud banging at the door, a 22-year-old man who resided on the second floor ran to the balcony and jumped to the ground below. He was arrested and taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture to his right ankle.
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 officer is concerned in connection with the man’s injury. The man had neither seen nor interacted with any officers prior to his jump. In fact, he did not even know it was the police at his door when he heard the bangs that prompted his jump. On this record, there is no question of the police contributing to the man’s injury in any manner that could attract criminal liability. 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