News Release
No Charges Against Toronto Police Officers in Death of Man in Scarborough
Case Number: 21-TCD-340
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-TCD-340
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that Toronto Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 41-year-old man in Scarborough last October.
In the evening of October 9, 2021, officers responded to a 911 call placed by the man, who was in apparent mental distress, at a residence on Castledene Crescent. Officers determined the man was in a bedroom in the basement and attempted to talk to him multiple times. They had reason to believe that the man may be armed and a danger to himself and possibly others. Within seconds of an officer breaking the bedroom window to see inside, the man stabbed himself in the neck. Paramedics attended and took the man to hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Director Martino concluded that the officers involved comported themselves with due care and regard for the man’s well-being. 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