News Release
Investigation Ends into Broken Orbital Bone Suffered by Man in Arrest by Woodstock Police Officer
Case Number: 23-OCI-084
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Woodstock Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the broken left orbital bone suffered by a 36-year-old man in March.
On March 14, 2023, officers responded to a parking lot after the man had reportedly assaulted a security guard at the Woodstock Museum. The man threatened officers and officers discharged their conducted energy weapons with no effect. The man continued his advance at police and one of the officer’s tackled the man. He was handcuffed and taken to hospital.
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