News Release
No Charges Against Toronto Police Officer After Man Suffers Shoulder Fracture
Case Number: 21-TCI-329
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a fractured right shoulder suffered by a 63-year-old man last July.
In the morning of July 16, 2021, officers responded to a call about a dispute at a residence on Huntingdale Boulevard in Scarborough. The man had prevented two family members from collecting their belongings from the home. At one point, the man stood from his seat and approached another individual in an aggressive manner. Another family member intervened to restrain him and one officer interceded by grabbing the man’s wrist to escort him back to his chair. Later in the day, at hospital, the man was diagnosed with a fractured right shoulder.
Director Martino found no evidence that the subject official used anything other than reasonable force in the execution of her duties to preserve the peace and prevent a reasonably apprehended assault. 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