News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Woodstock Arrest
Case Number: 24-OCI-131
In the evening of March 22, 2023, Woodstock Police Service officers were dispatched to a residence in the area of Dundas Street and Vansittart Avenue. A resident of the address had called police to report an assault and damaged property at the hands of a man. Officers confronted the man outside the home. The man was belligerent with the officers and adopted an aggressive posture. He was eventually grounded and handcuffed behind the back. Taken to hospital following his arrest, the 23-year-old man was diagnosed with a broken nose. 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
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES