News Release
No Charges to Issue in Connection with Whitby Man’s Deteriorating Condition While in the Custody of Police
Case Number: 21-OCI-422
On December 18, 2021, paramedics and Durham Regional Police Service officers attended a home in Whitby after learning that a 33-year-old man had consumed an overdose of prescription medication. As a result of the man making it difficult for the paramedics to do their job, an officer applied handcuffs to the front of the man. The officer rode with the man in the ambulance as it made its way to hospital. By the time the ambulance arrived at hospital, the man’s condition had markedly deteriorated. The handcuffs were removed and the man was transferred into the care of hospital staff. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, concluded there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s condition. The file has been closed.
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