News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation After Man Fled Durham Police, Hit Tree in Ajax
Case Number: 22-OVI-257
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Durham Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injuries suffered by a 27-year-old man after he collided into a tree while fleeing officers in Ajax. On September 30, 2022, officers attempted to stop the man for reckless driving. The man struck a cruiser in a stolen Tahoe before crashing into a tree outside a home on Delaney Drive.
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