News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Reported Serious Injury of Man During Arrest by Peel Officers in Brampton
Case Number: 21-OCI-396
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the reported broken right hand suffered by a 51-year-old man in the course of his arrest in Brampton last month.
On November 20, 2021, Peel Regional Police contacted the Unit to report that a man they had arrested the day before had reportedly been diagnosed with a broken right hand. The day prior, officers attended a Brampton hotel on Queen Street East and arrested the man for breaking and entering into a hotel room. He was taken to 22 Division and subsequently to hospital where he was treated for the injury.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, which included a review of video footage from the body-worn cameras of several officers involved in the arrest, combined with the man’s refusal to provide a statement to the SIU or access to his medical records, Director Martino concluded that the investigation should be discontinued at this time. 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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES