News Release
No Charges Against Peel Police Officer After Man Hit by Car on Mississauga Highway
Case Number: 21-OCI-238
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Peel Regional Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injuries suffered by a 28-year-old man struck by a car while evading arrest in Mississauga last July.
On July 30, 2021, the officer attempted to arrest the man for being belligerent and aggressive while asking motorists for money near Highway 403 on the eastbound off-ramp to Hurontario Street. The man ignored the officer’s direction to stop and continued soliciting drivers. The man then moved toward the officer in an aggressive fashion. The officer discharged a Conducted Energy Weapon without effect. Shortly thereafter, the man entered into the live lanes on the highway and was struck by a car, suffering multiple fractures.
Director Martino was satisfied that the officer’s decision to intervene when and how he did was a reasonable one in the circumstances. Accordingly, the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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