News Release
Man Fractured Finger after Striking Case of Beer; SIU Discontinues Hamilton Investigation
Case Number: 23-OCI-117
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury suffered by a 51-year-old man in April in Hamilton.
In the afternoon of April 18, 2023, Hamilton Police Service officers responded to home on Sherman Avenue North after an occupant of a home called police to report that he and a female acquaintance had just been threatened with a knife by a man who was known to them. Police located the man at another residence, and he was arrested without incident. He was subsequently taken to hospital and diagnosed with a fracture of the right pinky finger.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, Director Martino was satisfied that the investigation should be discontinued. The man’s injury was not caused by the police; rather, it resulted when he struck a case of beer with his right hand at the Sherman Avenue North residence before he left. In the circumstances, as there was no reason to believe that the police caused a ‘serious injury’ within the mandate of the SIU, the SIU was without statutory jurisdiction to investigate the incident. 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