News Release
No Charges to Issue in Connection with Man’s Hospitalization in Owen Sound Due to Drug Overdose
Case Number: 22-OCI-174
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that any Owen Sound Police Service (OSPS) officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the overdose of a 41-year-old man in July.
In the early morning hours of July 6, 2022, the man was arrested on outstanding warrants and brought to OSPS Headquarters. Following a bail hearing, the man was placed in OSPS cells where he was eventually observed to be under the influence of drugs. An ambulance was called, and the man was transported to hospital where he was treated with Narcan and eventually admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for a drug overdose.
Director Martino was not reasonably satisfied that the searches by and under the care of the OSPS officers transgressed the limits of care prescribed by criminal law, leaving no basis for preceding with criminal charges in this case. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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