News Release
No Charges After Woman Seriously Injured in Crash Following Police Pursuit in Ottawa
Case Number: 21-OVI-162
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OVI-162
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Ottawa Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injuries suffered by a 28-year-old woman in a motor vehicle collision.
On May 22, 2021, the woman’s vehicle was struck at Cyrville Road and Ogilvie Road by a driver who had earlier been under pursuit by officers in two Ottawa Police Service vehicles.
Director Martino concluded that the police pursuit had ended well before the driver entered the intersection on a red light and caused a collision. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1560
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