News Release
SIU Finds No Grounds to Charge Officers in Relation to Arrest of Woman in Toronto
Case Number: 22-TCI-282
On October 27, 2022, building staff contacted police to report that a woman was refusing to vacate her room, despite the room being scheduled for a fumigation. Officers arrived at the building and explained to the 57-year-old woman why she had to leave and gave her 15 minutes to pack her belongings. When she still wouldn’t leave, the officers approached the woman and attempted to lift her from the chair in which she was sitting. In the course of a struggle, the woman lost her balance, falling face first onto the floor and suffering a broken nose in the process. SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to conclude that any officer comported themselves other than lawfully in their dealings with the woman. As there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges, 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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES