News Release
SIU Discontinues London Investigation; Woman Suffered Fractured Arms in Jump from Apartment Balcony
Case Number: 22-OCI-035
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injuries sustained by a 23-year-old woman last month in London.
In the evening of February 5, 2022, London Police Service officers attended an apartment unit on Lyle Street in response to a domestic disturbance. Realizing that the police were outside the apartment door, and not wanting to be arrested for contravening the terms of a release order, the woman fled to the balcony and jumped to the ground below. The woman was arrested a short time later inside her apartment that was located nearby. She was transported to hospital where she was diagnosed with fractures to both arms.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, which included a review of a video recording that captured the events in question, officers were not in the woman’s immediate vicinity when she made her way to the balcony and jumped. As such, Director Martino has concluded that there was patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer involved in the matter. Accordingly, 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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES