News Release
No Charges Against Ottawa Police Officer After Male Suffers Serious Injuries in Cruiser Collision
Case Number: 21-OVI-339
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OVI-339
SIU Investigating Collision Involving Ottawa Police Cruiser, Two 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 an 18-year-old male last October.
In the evening of October 9, 2021, the officer was travelling north on Aviation Parkway en route to an emergency call when he struck the passenger side of a vehicle that had entered the intersection at Privé La Cité. The driver of the vehicle that was struck was not seriously injured. The passenger was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a fractured pelvis and collarbone.
Director Martino concluded that the subject official had the right of way and had his emergency lights activated when he approached the intersection. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and 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