News Release
SIU Determines no Basis to Proceed with Charges Against Officer in Connection with Mississauga Collision
Case Number: 21-OVI-430
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Peel Regional Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a December 2021 collision that resulted in the serious injury suffered by a 68-year-old man.
In the morning of December 31, 2021, a police officer was travelling north on Dixie Road at speed on her way to an urgent call for service. The officer approached the roadway’s intersection at Bloor Street with her emergency equipment on. She slowed her cruiser, and then proceeded to enter the intersection. At the same time, a Mazda vehicle that had been travelling west on Bloor Street entered the intersection on a green light and struck the cruiser. The driver of the Mazda was taken from the scene to hospital in an ambulance. He was reportedly diagnosed with a fractured sternum. The officer was not seriously injured in the collision.
As there were no reasonable grounds on the totality of the evidence to believe that the officer drove dangerously in violation of the criminal law, Director Martino concluded 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): 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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES