News Release
SIU Finds no Grounds to Lay Criminal Charges in Relation to London Altercation Between Officer and Teenager
Case Number: 21-OCI-407
On December 2, 2021, a London Police Service officer was off-duty and in his home when a rock came crashing through his living room window. The officer went outside where he saw two males, and he pursued them on foot. The officer caught up to one of the males – a 17-year-old – and tackled him to the ground. After an altercation, the officer was able to pin him to the ground until additional officers arrived on scene. Following his arrest, the male was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured left orbital bone. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the teenager’s arrest and injury.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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