News Release
No Charges Against Windsor Police Officers After Man’s Nose, Wrist Broken in Arrest
Case Number: 21-OCI-191
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injuries suffered by a 36-year-old man in the course of his arrest in Windsor last June.
On June 21, 2021, the Windsor Police Service responded to a 911 call reporting that a man had broken into his neighbour’s pickup truck at an address on Reginald Street. The man resisted arrest before an officer pulled him to the ground and handcuffed his left hand as he continued to resist. A few minutes later, another officer arrived and assisted in handcuffing the man behind his back. Following his arrest, the man was taken to the police station and then the hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken nose and fractured left wrist.
Director Martino concluded that the force used by officers in the arrest was legally justified in the circumstances. 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=1608
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