News Release
No Charges Against Barrie Police Officers in Woman’s Broken Ankle
Case Number: 21-OCI-382
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that Barrie Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with a fractured left ankle suffered by a 43-year-old woman in the course of her arrest last November.
On November 9, 2021, officers were called to assist paramedics who had been dispatched to a residence on Clute Crescent for a woman in distress. The woman resisted attempts by officers to take her into custody under the Mental Health Act. An officer forced the woman to the ground and handcuffed her. She was escorted to the officer’s cruiser and seated in the rear passenger seat, but refused to place her legs inside the vehicle. The officer, and other officers arriving to assist, used force to attempt to place her legs inside the cruiser. The woman was eventually taken to hospital via ambulance where she was diagnosed with a broken left ankle.
Director Martino was satisfied that the force used was legally justified 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