News Release

No Charges Against Toronto Police for Man’s Broken Hand

Case Number: 21-TCI-172   

Mississauga, ON (1 October, 2021) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a 37-year-old man’s arrest and subsequent diagnosis of a broken right hand last June.

On June 2, 2021, the Toronto Police Service executed a drug warrant at an apartment on Queen Street West in Toronto. Three people were arrested, including the injured man. The man complained of pain in his right hand and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with two fractures in his right hand. 

Director Martino concluded there was nothing in the evidence to indicate any significant force was used in the arrest by any of the officers present. 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=1587

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