News Release
No Charges Against Sarnia Police Officer After Man Broke Arm While Attempting to Flee on Bike
Case Number: 21-OCI-245
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Sarnia Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the broken right arm suffered by a 35-year-old man who fled arrest last August.
On August 5, 2021, officers attempted to arrest the man who was wanted on a warrant for serious charges, including break and enter and assault with a weapon. He attempted to flee on a bicycle. The subject official swung his baton, striking the man in the right elbow. The man fell from the bicycle and a struggle ensued before he was taken into custody.
Director Martino said the man was pedaling as fast as he could away from the subject official at the time and may have escaped if the officer had not intervened. Director Martino also said he was satisfied the use of force was not excessive. 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