News Release

The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) officers committed a criminal offence in connection with a serious injury suffered by a 25-year-old man in Oakville.

In the early morning hours of May 2, 2022, HRPS received a 911 call reporting the presence of a male “passed out” in the driver’s seat of a Chrysler 300 in front of a Shoppers Drug Mart. A check of the licence plates affixed to the vehicle indicated it had been reported stolen. Officers were dispatched to investigate. As officers made their way on foot to the driver’s door of the Chrysler, the driver accelerated in reverse and struck the front driver side of an unmarked police vehicle. Immediately thereafter, he accelerated forward, struck and broke a store window, reversed backwards, striking the police vehicle again, and then travelled forwards, striking and breaking another store window. An officer broke the rear driver side window, reached in with his firearm and ordered the man to stop. The officer then broke the front driver’s door window and attempted to apprehend the man. The man scurried across to the passenger side of the vehicle and exited through the front door. Following a struggle, officers were eventually able to apprehend the man. He was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a fractured jaw.

Director Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer comported himself unlawfully in their engagement with the man. 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.