News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Arrest in Pembroke
Case Number: 23-PCI-041
In the afternoon of February 10, 2023, Ontario Provincial Police officers were dispatched to a call involving an assault in progress at a residence in Pembroke. When an officer informed a 42-year-old man that he was under arrest for assault and uttering threats, the man surrendered his arms and allowed himself to be handcuffed behind the back without incident. The man was taken to the OPP detachment, held in custody for a brief period, and released. He attended hospital the next day where diagnostic imaging, though inconclusive, suggested he might have suffered a fracture of the left wrist. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and diagnosis. There was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, and 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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES