News Release
No Charges Against Ottawa Police Officer in Crash, Two Persons Seriously Injured
Case Number: 21-OVI-295
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OVI-295
SIU Investigating Collision Involving Ottawa Police Cruiser, Two People Seriously Injured
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ottawa Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision that resulted in serious injuries suffered by two persons last September.
On September 7, 2021, the officer was driving a marked police SUV, north on Conroy Road, in response to a call for service involving a missing child. The officer stopped behind another vehicle at a red light at Hunt Club Road, activated her siren and emergency lights, passed the stopped vehicle, and slowly entered the intersection. At the same time, another vehicle entered the intersection travelling west on Hunt Club Road. The officer struck that vehicle. The female driver was diagnosed with a concussion and the man suffered fractures of the left wrist and spine.
Director Martino concluded that the officer did not transgress the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law. The evidence established that the officer had activated the cruiser’s emergency lights and siren, and slowed if not stopped, before crossing into the intersection. Accordingly, 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