News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Apparent Injury While Evading Arrest in Toronto
Case Number: 24-TCI-147
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Toronto Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the possible serious injury of a 40-year-old man while he tried to flee arrest.
On April 1, 2024, officers went to a residence near Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road to arrest the man based on warrants. The man tried to get away from officers through the garage with a bicycle when he was grounded by an officer. The officer used his body weight to pin the man down in the prone position as the man struggled. The man was handcuffed. The man complained of pain and he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. Medical imaging was inconclusive – the man may or may not have suffered a fractured left scapula.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES