News Release
Officers Not Present When Man Fell from Townhouse Roof; SIU Discontinues Hamilton Investigation
Case Number: 24-OCI-039
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury suffered by a 22-year-old man in January in Hamilton.
In the evening of January 26, 2024, the man had a confrontation with another individual at a townhouse complex in the area of Mohawk Road and Old Mohawk Road. To get away, the man fled and climbed the roof of a unit. He then fell from the roof and landed on a glass patio table. Seeing the man bleeding and in his underwear, a resident contact police. Upon their arrival, Hamilton Police Service officers found the man on the roof of a unit. He disappeared behind the apex of the roof and was subsequently located in the backyard of another unit. At hospital following his apprehension, the man was diagnosed with an injured kidney.
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. If, indeed, the man’s injury was incurred in the fall, it is evident that there was patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer was concerned; they were not there at the time of the fall. Accordingly, 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