News Release
No Charges Against Chatham-Kent Police Officer in Collision, Serious Injury Suffered by Woman in Blenheim
Case Number: 21-OVI-317
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Chatham-Kent Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision that led to the serious injury of a 27-year-old woman in Blenheim last September.
On September 23, 2021, police received a 911 call about a home invasion in progress. While en route to the scene, an officer observed a vehicle that had stopped before accelerating away. The officer pursued the driver. A short time later, the driver entered the gravel shoulder and lost control before rolling over a few times. A man who was in the vehicle fled and two women remained inside. The officer assisted the occupants and called for paramedics. The investigation suggests that one of the women suffered a dislocated hip.
Director Martino concluded that the officer was in the lawful execution of his duties at the time and that he demonstrated due care and regard for public safety during the brief pursuit. 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