News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Four-Storey Fall in St. Catharines
Case Number: 23-OCI-377
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Niagara Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the fractures and brain injury suffered by a 33-year-old man in a fall from a four-storey building last September in St. Catharines.
On September 12, 2023, officers were called to an apartment in St. Catharines for a disturbance involving the man. The man was angry and agitated and hung from the edge of the roof. He threatened to jump. Officers negotiated to try to get him to safety. The Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team was called and attempted to assist. The man lost his grip from the building and fell to the pavement below. He suffered multiple fractures and a brain injury in the fall.
Director Martino found the subject official comported himself with due care and regard for the man’s health and safety. Regrettably, while the officer was not able to prevent the complainant from falling, it was not from any want of trying on his part.
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