News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Head Injuries Sustained by Man in Wasaga Beach
Case Number: 21-PCI-132
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that any Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the injuries suffered by a 34-year-old man in Wasaga Beach on April 12, 2021.
On this date, a woman called 911 and reported that her son was acting aggressively and she wanted him out of the house. During the call, the 34-year-old son took the phone. He vented grievances and threatened to use a gun against any police officer who might attend at his home. Officers were dispatched. Hearing yelling from inside the home, the first officer entered. When the man confronted the officer with a small samurai-type sword and miniature souvenir-type wooden bat, the officer retreated. He fired his conducted energy weapon at the man, and the man fell. This officer along with another were able to handcuff the man’s hands behind his back. As the officers attempted to place the man in the cruiser, he resisted. One of the officers grounded the man, causing the man’s head to impact the road. Paramedics transported the man to hospital where he was diagnosed with two closed-head injuries.
While accepting that the man’s injuries were incurred in the course of his engagement with two officers, Director Martino concluded there were no reasonable grounds to believe that they were attributable to unlawful conduct on the part of either officer. As 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
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Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES