News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Burlington Arrest
Case Number: 23-OCI-161
In the evening of May 1, 2023, Halton Regional Police Service officers pulled over a Volkswagen Jetta without proper licence plates in Burlington. When the officers advised that his vehicle would be towed and he would be arrested, the 58-year-old man started his engine and fled. The officers chased after the man for a distance before discontinuing their pursuit. Shortly thereafter, the Jetta was located at a townhouse complex in Burlington. The officers engaged the man, and an interaction ensued. The man was subsequently arrested. When the man complained of pain, he was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a rib fracture. 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. 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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES