News Release
As No Serious Injury was Suffered, SIU Discontinues Toronto Investigation
Case Number: 24-TCI-029
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into a January 2024 interaction between police and a 50-year-old man in Toronto.
In the early morning of January 18, 2024, the man was of unsound mind. He wandered about a neighbourhood seeking water and eventually entered a crawl space under the front porch of a residence in the area of Danforth Avenue and Broadview Avenue. The homeowner contacted police and Toronto Police Service officers arrived on scene. The man could not be coaxed out from under the porch. After about 40 minutes of negotiations, an officer was able to grab the man through an opening and pull him out. He was handcuffed and transported to hospital where he was held for psychiatric examination.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including a review of the man’s medical records, Director Martino was satisfied the investigation should be discontinued. No serious injuries were diagnosed. On this record, there being no ‘serious injury’ within the terms of the SIU’s mandate, the office was without jurisdiction to investigate this matter. 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