News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Arrest of Woman on Wauzhushk Onigum Nation
Case Number: 24-PCI-277
On June 29, 2024, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers and officers with Treaty Three Police Service set out to look for a 39-year-old woman who had made her way to a wooded area on Wauzhushk Onigum Nation. The officers had information that the woman had operated a vehicle while intoxicated, and that she had threatened suicide. After the officers, including a dog handler and his dog, had travelled about two kilometres, they entered into an area of waist high grass. Shortly thereafter, the sounds of a female screaming were heard. The police dog had located and bitten into the left calf of the woman. The woman was transported from the area by ambulance to hospital. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the OPP dog handler committed a criminal offence in connection with the woman’s arrest and 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 (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