News Release
No Charges Against Toronto Police Officer After Man Suffers Broken Nose in Cell
Case Number: 21-TCI-359
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 the broken nose suffered by a 21-year-old man following an altercation in a cell last October.
On October 23, 2021, the man was in police custody for violating the terms of a release order. While the man was in his cell, officers attempted to remove a sweater from him that he had been using trying to harm himself. The man refused, and fought officers as they entered the cell to take it. One officer struck the man in the face twice.
Director Martino said he was unable to reasonably conclude that the officer’s use of force was excessive in the circumstances. 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