News Release
No Officers Present During Man’s Fall from Fence in Windsor; SIU Investigation Terminated
Case Number: 22-OCI-081
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the serious injury suffered by a 39-year-old man earlier this month in Windsor.
On the afternoon of March 14, 2022, the man was in the area of the Windsor Public Library on Seminole Street when he observed Windsor Police Service officers in the vicinity. Realizing he was wanted by police in relation to outstanding warrants, the man fled on bicycle east on Seminole Street. He turned south onto Francois Road and then rode right into a property where he ditched the bicycle and continued on foot. The man scaled a wooden fence on the property, maneuvered onto the roof of an adjacent shed and jumped down. Minutes later, he was located and arrested by police officers. The man was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured left foot.
Director Martino concluded that it was plain and obvious that the man’s injury was not attributable to any criminal conduct on the part of the police; he, and he alone, was responsible for his broken foot. 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