News Release

SIU Concludes Investigation into Woman’s Broken Hand After Arrest in St. Catharines

Case Number: 24-OCI-250   

Mississauga, ON (7 October, 2024) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Niagara Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a serious injury sustained by a 32-year-old woman in St. Catharines. On April 11, 2024, police were called by Niagara Health hospital security after the woman caused a disturbance and refused to leave. The woman resisted as officers tried to handcuff her. The woman went to hospital 11 days later and was diagnosed with a fractured right hand. 

Director Martino was unable to reasonably conclude that the force used during the woman’s arrest was unlawful. He also found it remained unclear precisely when the woman broke her hand, with it being possible the injury happened before or after her run-in with police.
 
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