News Release
No Charges Against Peel Police Officer After Woman’s Hands Broken During Arrest in Mississauga
Case Number: 21-OCI-262
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 fractured hands suffered by a 28-year-old woman during her arrest last July.
On July 15, 2021, officers attempted to get the woman to drop the knife she was holding and not harm herself. After the officer’s commands went unheeded, he deployed his Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) at the woman. Officers then apprehended her under the Mental Health Act.
Director Martino said that while the woman’s hands may have been fractured when she fell to the floor following the CEW discharge, there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer comported himself other than lawfully throughout this incident. Accordingly, the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1724
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