News Release

SIU Concludes Investigation into Incident in OPP Nottawasaga Detachment Parking Garage

Case Number: 23-PCI-430   

Mississauga, ON (16 February, 2024) ---
In the evening of October 21, 2023, a 36-year-old man was in the back seat of a police cruiser parked in the garage of the OPP Nottawasaga Detachment. He had been lodged in a cell following his arrest and was now being transported to hospital for medication. When officers noticed that the man had maneuvered his handcuffed arms in front of his body, they asked him to reposition them behind his back. At some point, an officer shut the door, resulting in the man’s head being struck. He was later diagnosed with a concussion. 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 injury.

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