News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Man’s Reported Serious Injury During Arrest in Sault Ste. Marie
Case Number: 21-OCI-284
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the reported serious injury of a man during an arrest by Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers last June.
On August 31, 2020, the SIU received notification that a man had been seriously injured during his arrest on June 23, 2021. On June 23, 2021, the man suffered a seizure in a parking lot on MacDonald Avenue. Officers responded to a 911 call and, unaware of the nature of the man’s condition, he was handcuffed. Paramedics took the man to hospital.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, the man did not suffer a serious injury. Accordingly, the SIU was without statutory jurisdiction to continue the investigation, and 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