News Release
Man Hurt Wrist After Scaling Fence; SIU Discontinues Toronto Investigation
Case Number: 24-TCI-205
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury suffered by a 29-year-old man in May in Toronto.
In the evening of May 14, 2024, the man was in the area of Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East when he saw a plainclothes Toronto Police Service officer. The man fled on foot, and jumped over some fences. After scaling the last fence, the man injured his right wrist when attempting to break his fall. The man was arrested a short time later without incident and subsequently taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured right wrist.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, SIU Director Joseph Martino was satisfied the investigation should be discontinued. There were no officers in proximity to the man at the time of the injury. On this record, there was patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer was concerned in connection with the injury. As such, 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