News Release
Man Alone was Responsible for Injury Suffered in Fall from Motel Balcony; SIU Discontinues Kingston Investigation
Case Number: 24-OCI-157
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 April in Kingston.
In the morning of April 12, 2024, Kingston Police officers were dispatched to a motel on Princess Avenue following reports of an unlawful entry into a second-floor room. Officers arriving on scene located two women in the room. The officers were advised by the owner of the motel that two men had fled the scene upon the arrival of police. One of the men was located and arrested a short distance from the motel. He was found with the top segment of his left small finger severed. When the man jumped from the second-floor balcony, his finger had snared on the balcony railing mesh as he fell.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, Director Martino was satisfied the investigation should be discontinued. On this record, it was apparent that the police did not nothing that could conceivably attract criminal sanction in relation to the man’s injury. He was alone responsible for the consequences of his misadventures. 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