News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Fort Erie Arrest of Man
Case Number: 23-OCI-208
In the afternoon of May 30, 2023, Niagara Regional Police Service officers showed up at a residence in Fort Erie to arrest a man wanted in relation to a child pornography investigation. The officers entered the premises and made their way upstairs, where they had reason to believe the man resided. Following a physical altercation, the man was handcuffed by the officers and taken into custody. At hospital, he was diagnosed with possibly un-displaced left-sided rib fractures.
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 injuries. 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