News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Brantford Police Officers After Man Hospitalized
Case Number: 21-OCI-410
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Brantford Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the hospitalization of a 42-year-old man last December.
On December 5, 2021, the man was hospitalized after he was found in a field in medical distress. The SIU was notified as his condition appeared to be connected to a series of events involving Brantford Police Service officers the day prior. On December 4, 2021, officers had gone to a private premises on Adams Boulevard to investigate after the man triggered a security alarm when he travelled onto the property in what was later determined to be a stolen pickup truck. The man fled from police. Officers tried, unsuccessfully, to search for the man for about an hour before calling it off.
Director Martino concluded that the man’s plight was likely the result of his misadventure and, as a result, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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