News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Youth’s Reported Broken Wrist
Case Number: 21-PCI-233
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the reported broken right wrist suffered by a girl in the course of her arrest last July.
On July 21, 2021, Ontario Provincial Police officers arrested a girl following a domestic disturbance at her family member’s home in Longlac, 58 First Nation. She was transported to the detachment and lodged in a cell before being released back into custody of her legal guardian. The youth was found to have injured her wrist prior to officers’ arrival and her wrist was also determined to not have been fractured.
Director Martino concluded that based on the circumstances, the SIU was without jurisdiction in the matter due to a lack of serious injury. The file has been closed.
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