News Release

The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Barrie Police Service (BPS) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the arrest and injury of a 41-year-old man on March 31, 2022.

In the afternoon hours, a team of BPS officers were on the lookout for the man. There were warrants out for his arrest and he was suspected in a series of break and enters. Officers located the man, seated on a retaining wall, in the area of Berczy Street and Collier Street. As the officers approached and advised the man he was under arrest, the man rose to his feet and attempted to run away southbound on Collier Street. He had taken a couple of strides when he was caught from behind by an officer and tackled to the ground. The man’s head struck the sidewalk. He attempted to get up from the ground and resisted his arrest as officers attempted to secure him in handcuffs. From the ground, the officer who had tackled the man earlier struck the man once to the left rib area. Another officer, crouched over the man, struck him two to three times to the head and neck area. The man was eventually subdued and taken into custody. At hospital, he was diagnosed with a concussion and forehead laceration.

While accepting that the man’s laceration was inflicted in his tackle to the ground and that the concussion was the result of his head hitting the sidewalk or one or more of the punches delivered by the officers, Director Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officers who arrested the man comported themselves other than lawfully. There being 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):