News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Man’s Reported Injury Involving Peel Regional Police Marine Officers
Case Number: 21-OCI-355
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a serious injury reported to have been suffered by a 53-year-old man while being assisted by Peel Regional Police Marine Unit officers in 2019. The SIU was made aware of the incident on October 21, 2021, when the man contacted the Unit.
On October 21, 2019, the man was in Lake Ontario in his sailboat south of the Port Credit River. Officers in a police vessel approached and asked if he needed assistance. The man accepted a tow, and while a tow line was being established, the man fell from his sailboat. He was rescued by officers and subsequently was taken to the hospital. It was determined he did not suffer any serious injuries.
Director Martino concluded that as the man did not suffer a serious injury within the mandate of the SIU, the SIU was without jurisdiction in this matter. 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