News Release
No Charges for Toronto Police Officer After Man’s Jaw Broken in Toronto Traffic Stop
Case Number: 20-TCI-200
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with breaking a 71-year-old man’s jaw with a baton during a traffic stop in Toronto in August 2020.
On August 14, 2020, the man was pulled over for speeding in the area of Ridgevalley Crescent and Islington Avenue. The man reacted angrily to being stopped by the officer, swearing at the officer. The man then exited his vehicle on multiple occasions and approached the officer in a threatening fashion.
Director Martino was satisfied on reasonable grounds that the officer’s resort to two swings of his ASP baton was not excessive in the circumstances.
The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1507
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES