News Release
No Charges Against Durham Regional Police Officer in Woman’s Serious Injury
Case Number: 21-OCI-189
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Durham Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a woman who was seriously injured while in custody last June.
On June 18, 2021, the woman was arrested on Celina Street in Oshawa as part of a theft and attempted fraud investigation. The woman was taken to 17 Division and lodged in a cell. She was later placed in an interview room, where she went into medical distress. Officers administered emergency care before paramedics arrived and brought her to hospital for treatment of a drug overdose, brain injury and other ailments.
Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer comported himself unlawfully throughout his interaction with the woman. Director Martino did acknowledge mistakes were made in the care of the woman, but noted they were not of a magnitude to run afoul of the criminal law. Accordingly, 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=1605
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