News Release
No Charges Against OPP Officer After Man Suffered Broken Hand in Orangeville
Case Number: 21-PCI-206
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ontario Provincial Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a 53-year-old man’s arrest and subsequent diagnosis of a broken left hand in Orangeville last June.
On June 27, 2021, officers arrested the man for allegedly assaulting a woman. After his arrest, the man was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken left hand.
Director Martino found the evidence did not show undue force was used by the subject official or any other official involved in the man’s arrest. He also said that it was clear that the man was compliant at all times. Director Martino said there was a suggestion that the man’s injury was the result of his handcuffs being too tight and/or from his hands being restrained behind his back. However, he was unable to reasonably conclude that the subject official fell short of his duty of care to the man. 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=1624
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