News Release
No Charges Against York Police Officers in Man’s Broken Rib
Case Number: 21-OCI-240
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that three York Regional Police officers committed a criminal offence in connection with a broken rib suffered by a 35-year-old man during his arrest in Keswick last August.
On August 1, 2021, officers went to a residence on Ravenshoe Road after receiving a 911 call about a domestic disturbance. Officers forced entry into the man’s basement apartment, and were confronted by the man, walking toward them. One of the officers swept the man’s feet out from under him and took him to the floor He struggled before being handcuffed. While being escorted upstairs to the main level of the home, the man extended a leg against the doorframe and pushed backward. The officers forced the man forwards to the floor. He was taken to the police station, and then to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the left ninth rib.
Director Martino found the two takedowns were justified in the man’s arrest. He found no reasonable grounds to believe the subject officials comported themselves unlawfully during the incident. 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