News Release
No Charges Against Windsor Police Officer in Collision, Serious Injuries Suffered by Woman
Case Number: 21-OVI-304
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Windsor Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the serious injuries suffered by a 43-year-old woman after his cruiser struck the vehicle she was a passenger in last September.
On September 13, 2021, the officer had his cruiser’s lights and siren on while responding to a call for a motor vehicle collision. The driver of a civilian vehicle in front of the cruiser stopped in the passing line when the officer struck the rear of the vehicle on Huron Church Road. A female passenger in the civilian vehicle suffered a broken nose and wrist.
Director Martino found that the officer did not transgress the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law; thus there were no grounds for proceeding with criminal charges.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1765
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