News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Broken Leg After Police Dog Bite During Arrest in Oshawa
Case Number: 23-OCI-238
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Durham Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the broken right leg suffered by a 26-year-old man after being bit by a police dog in Oshawa.
In the early hours of June 24, 2023, officers responded to a 911 call to attend a residence on Wilson Road North after the man assaulted a woman and was in violation of a release order for being in her vicinity. The man fled and an officer as well as a police service dog were dispatched to search for the man. The dog located the man in the backyard of a residence on Cricklewood Drive and latched on his lower right leg. The officer arrested the man. The man was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a broken calf bone.
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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES