News Release
No Charges Against Toronto Police Officer in Serious Injury Suffered by Man in Hamilton
Case Number: 21-TCI-268
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-TCI-268
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe an off-duty Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a broken hand suffered by a 27-year-old man last August in Hamilton.
On August 20, 2021, an off-duty officer – who resided near the scene -- arrested the man for suspected impaired driving after he crashed a pickup truck into a tree in Stoney Creek. The officer pinned the man to the ground, as the man struggled, while waiting for Hamilton Police Service officers to respond.
Director Martino found that the man’s injury likely occurred in the collision, not in the course of the arrest. He also found no evidence that the officer used excessive force in the course of the arrest. 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