News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation After Man Hurt in Attempt to Flee Hamilton Police
Case Number: 24-OVI-174
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Hamilton Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a collision that seriously injured a 35-year-old man in Hamilton.
On April 21, 2024, an officer attempted to stop the driver of a Hyundai Sante Fe on Edgemont Street. The officer observed the driver of the Santa Fe travel backwards into another officer’s cruiser and had cause to believe that the man was subject to arrest for dangerous driving.
The officer used his cruiser to block the Santa Fe’s path of travel and the driver attempted to flee, striking the cruiser. The man was arrested and taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured neck. The subject official also sustained injuries in the collision.
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