News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Ottawa Cruiser Crash
Case Number: 22-OVI-181
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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 the serious injury suffered by a 28-year-old man after his vehicle was struck by a cruiser in July.
On July 4, 2022, the man was driving northbound on Woodroffe Avenue with his wife and newborn baby. As he entered the intersection of Fallowfield Road, his vehicle collided with the cruiser travelling eastbound. The man was taken to hospital for treatment of a fractured left collarbone. His wife and baby were not injured. The officer was also not injured.
Director Martino was not able to reasonably conclude that the officer transgressed the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law, leaving 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):
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