News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Medical Condition in Police Custody at Sault Ste. Marie Hospital
Case Number: 23-OCI-383
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe an Ontario Provincial Police officer or a Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the medical episode suffered by a 29-year-old man while in custody last September.
On September 15, 2023, the man was arrested in Echo Bay and took him into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant. During a search, baggies of drugs were confiscated. Another container appeared to be inside the man’s anus. Paramedics were called to take the man to hospital. In hospital, the man retrieved drugs from his person and ingested cocaine. He went into medical distress and was admitted to the ICU.
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