News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Arrest in Hamilton that Resulted in Injury to Bystander
Case Number: 24-OCI-112
In the afternoon of March 8, 2024, Hamilton Police Service officers with the High Enforcement Action Team observed two males seemingly engaged in drug transactions. When the males exited a building, officers attempted to arrest them. One of the individuals was grounded and taken into custody. The other male fled on foot. When an officer took hold of this man, the man broke free and bumped into a 61-year-old woman. She fell backwards, used her left hand to break her fall, and broke her wrist in the process. The man fled but was apprehended soon after. 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 woman’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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES