News Release
Woman Injured Ankle after Falling from Utility Box; SIU Discontinues St. Catharines Investigation
Case Number: 21-OCI-288
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the ankle injury suffered by a 38-year-old woman earlier this month in St. Catharines. At the time the injury was sustained, the woman was in the presence of a Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) officer.
On September 2, 2021, a man contacted 911 to report that he and his daughter were in his car when his daughter jumped out of the vehicle in the area of Martindale Road and the Queen Elizabeth Way. A NRPS officer responded and located the woman. The officer followed the woman as she made her way down an embankment. The woman then proceeded to climb onto a utility box, and while the officer was speaking with her, the woman fell from the box. She was transported to hospital for treatment of an ankle injury.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, Director Martino determined there was patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of the officer involved in the incident. Accordingly, the investigation has been discontinued.
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