News Release
No Charges Against OPP Officer After Man Diagnosed with Concussion Following Arrest in Belle River
Case Number: 21-PCI-247
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the concussion suffered by a 43-year-old man after his arrest last June in Lakeshore.
On June 13, 2021, officers from the Lakeshore Detachment were called to a public disturbance at Belle River beach in Belle River. Beachgoers had contacted police to report that the man and others he was with had accosted and assaulted persons at the beach. Officers arrested the man and two others. At the detachment, the man confronted the officer. The officer struck the man in the face with his right elbow and put him in the cell. The man was released from custody the next day, after which he went to a medical clinic where he was diagnosed with a concussion.
Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude, based on the evidence, that the use of force was excessive in the circumstances. Director Martino said the officer had reason to be concerned that the man would turn violent just before the officer’s resort to force. 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