News Release
SIU Concludes Ottawa Investigation
Case Number: 22-OCI-144
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ottawa Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with an incident that occurred in June.
In the late afternoon of May 31, 2022, a 52-year-old man was arrested for an alleged assault against an acquaintance. He was taken to the police station and lodged in a cell. At about 10:30 p.m., the man asked to take his insulin. He was escorted to the special constable’s desk at the station and allowed to self-administer the medication, after which he was returned to his cell. At about 2:30 a.m. of the next day, a special constable conducting cell checks noticed the man lying on the cell floor with laboured breathing. Unable to rouse him, the special constable summoned the assistance of other officers. The man was removed from the cell and provided emergency first-aid. Paramedics arrived and took charge of the man’s care. He was transported to hospital, intubated, and treated for altered consciousness and hypoglycemia brought about by an insulin overdose.
Director Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject official – the officer with overall responsibility for the care of prisoners at the time – transgressed the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law in connection with the man’s time in custody. There was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and 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