News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Kitchener Interaction
Case Number: 22-OCI-311
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in March of 2022 between a 40-year-old man and a Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) officer. The SIU was notified of the incident by the police service on December 8, 2022.
In the evening of March 26, 2022, WRPS officers were dispatched to a residence on Parkvale Drive in Kitchener, following a call to police reporting a disturbance in the home. Officers entered the residence, and an interaction occurred between an officer and the one of the occupants of the home. No arrests were made and the officers left the scene. Early the next day, the man attended hospital after feeling chest pain. However, he subsequently left before he had been medically evaluated or X-rayed.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, Director Martino was satisfied that the investigation should be discontinued. There was, in the circumstances, no medical evidence that would document any serious injury. As the SIU was without jurisdiction to investigate this matter, the file has been closed.
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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES