News Release
SIU Ceases Investigation into Man Bit by Windsor Police Dog
Case Number: 22-OCI-309
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the dog bite injury of a 36-year-old man during his arrest by a Windsor Police Service officer.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, on December 4, 2022, an officer was sent to a residence on Parent Avenue after receiving reports that the man was in the area, in violation of a court order, and threatening to blow himself up. The officer deployed a Conducted Energy Weapon and his police dog at the man. The man was arrested.
The man was taken to hospital for treatment of a dog bite to the right cheek that required 11 sutures. However, as stitches are not considered a serious injury in the SIU’s mandate, this left the Unit without statutory jurisdiction to investigate. 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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES