News Release
No Charges Against Windsor Police Officer in Motorcycle Crash
Case Number: 21-OVI-194
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Windsor Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injuries suffered by a 49-year-old man in a motorcycle collision in Windsor last June.
In the afternoon of June 24, 2021, the officer attempted to stop a man on a motorcycle for a possible traffic violation before he sped away at high-speed, ran a stop sign, lost control and was thrown from the bike at Tourangeau Road and Alice Street. Initially, the officer had spotted the motorcyclist on the E.C. Row Expressway as his rear licence plate appeared to be improperly mounted. When the officer arrived at the collision scene, the officer arrested the man and he was taken via ambulance to hospital. He was diagnosed with a broken pelvis and toe.
Director Martino found that when the man failed to stop and sped up, the officer quickly deactivated his emergency lights and siren, and continued at or about the speed limit. The officer was upwards of 20 seconds behind the motorcyclist when the rider lost control and crashed. Director Martino said he was satisfied that the officer had lawful grounds to attempt to stop the man. He also found the officer comported himself with due care and regard for public safety, including the motorcyclist. 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=1615
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