News Release
No Charges Against Niagara Police Officer After Driver Flips Car, Hits House During Pursuit in Port Colborne
Case Number: 21-OVI-397
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OVI-397
SIU Investigating Serious Injury Suffered by Driver Who Fled Police in Port Colborne
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Niagara Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injury suffered by a 27-year-old woman after she flipped and crashed her vehicle into a home in Port Colborne last November.
In the evening of November 20, 2021, officers briefly pursued the woman’s vehicle after they saw her speeding on Main Street West and make a reckless U-turn. The woman was then involved in a collision at Main Street West and Oakwood Street.
Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject official drove dangerously in violation of the criminal law. 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