News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Man’s Right Eye Injury in Thunder Bay
Case Number: 23-OCI-295
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury suffered by a 38-year-old man while in custody of Thunder Bay Police Service in July.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including an interview with the man and a review of video footage that captured parts of the incident, on July 27, 2023, officers were called about a man in crisis at a residence in the area of Red River Road and Junot Avenue North. Officers apprehended the man under the Mental Health Act. While in the backseat of the cruiser and handcuffed to the front, the man gouged out his right eye. Officers stopped and repositioned the handcuffs to the back of his body, and took the man to hospital.
Director Martino concluded there was no warning given to the officers that the man was about to self-harm in that way, and therefore left no opportunity for preventive action by the officers. Nor could the officers have reasonably foreseen that the man would take advantage of the fact that his hands were handcuffed to the front to gouge his eye; he had been compliant and cooperative when apprehended. On this record, Director Martino found it was evident that the man harmed himself and nothing the officers did or failed to do contributed to the man’s injury. 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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES