News Release
SIU Closes Investigation into Broken Hand Suffered by Man After He Punched Cell Door in Windsor
Case Number: 21-OCI-387
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the broken right hand suffered by a 52-year-old man in Windsor last month after it was found the injury was self-inflicted.
On November 13, 2021, the man was arrested by Windsor Police Service officers in the area of Lincoln Road and Ypres Avenue. He was taken into custody and lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the man punched the window of the cell door twice with his closed right fist. He was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured right hand.
Based on preliminary inquiries, Director Martino concluded that the investigation should be discontinued as there was patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer involved. Based on video evidence, it was apparent that the man alone was responsible for his injury. 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
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Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES