News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Woman’s Reported Injury During Arrest in Hamilton
Case Number: 21-OCI-405
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OCI-405
SIU Investigating Reported Serious Injury of Woman Arrested by Hamilton Police Officers
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the reported serious injury of a 24-year-old woman arrested by Hamilton Police Service officers last November.
On November 29, 2021, the Hamilton Police Service contacted the SIU to report that a woman they had arrested may have suffered a serious injury. The SIU launched an investigation.
On November 26, 2021, the woman and others had gathered outside Hamilton Police Service central station to protest the arrest of a person at a homeless encampment earlier that day. Officers arrested her in relation to her participation in a confrontation between police and protesters at Beemer Park on November 24, 2021.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, Director Martino found the woman did not, in fact, sustain a ‘serious injury’ within the mandate of the SIU. Consequently, as the SIU was without statutory jurisdiction to continue its investigation, the file has been closed.
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