News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Man’s Ruptured Eardrum in Sudbury
Case Number: 24-OCI-033
Witness Assistance
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a ruptured left eardrum suffered by a 23-year-old man during his arrest by Greater Sudbury Police Service officers in October 2022.
On October 2, 2022, officers pulled over the driver of a car in the area of Grandview Boulevard, just east of Rideau Street., and attempted to arrest the passenger. The man was subject to two arrest warrants for violations of probation orders and other offences.
The man resisted and attempted to flee. Officers took the man to the ground, followed by a number of punches by the subject official and multiple conducted energy weapon discharges by another officer.
Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude it was excessive as the evidence indicates the man tried to break free and avoid arrest. Additionally, during a search after his arrest, a knife was in the man’s possession.
In the result, while Director Martino accepted that the man’s injury was incurred during his arrest, likely, the punches struck by the subject official, there were no reasonable grounds to believe it was attributable to unlawful conduct on the part of the officers.
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