News Release
SIU Determines No Basis to Proceed with Criminal Charges in Relation to Thedford Arrest
Case Number: 24-PCI-274
In the evening of June 22, 2024, Ontario Provincial Police officers in the area of Thedford blocked in a pick-up truck after motorists reported that the driver was possibly impaired. With the cruiser blocking his path behind him, the irate driver exited the truck and yelled at the officer to remove the cruiser from the property. The officers explained they were to investigate a complaint of impaired driving and attempted to calm the 67-year-old man. When the man moved towards his pick-up truck, the officers took hold of him and brought him to the ground. There followed a brief struggle in which an officer punched the man once to the right side of the head. The man was handcuffed on the ground and lifted to his feet. The handcuffs were removed, and the man was unconditionally released. The following day, the man attended hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injury.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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