News Release
SIU Discontinues Investigation into Death of Man in Brantford
Case Number: 24-OCD-297
Other News Releases Related to Case 24-OCD-297
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the death of a 59-year-old man in July in Brantford.
On May 30, 2024, while at hospital but attempting to leave, the man was tackled to the ground by a Brantford Police Service officer. The man was subsequently released by police and left hospital later that day. The man was again in hospital on July 2, 2024, on which date he underwent surgery for a ruptured spleen. He passed away following the surgery. A doctor at the hospital, examining the man’s spleen upon removal, noted multiple lacerations to the organ and concluded that blunt trauma could not be ruled out as the cause of the ruptured spleen. The SIU initiated an investigation to determine if the force used by police on May 30, 2024, was connected to the man’s death.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, Director Martino was satisfied the investigation should be discontinued. The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy on the man’s body was of the view that deaths due to undiagnosed or untreated blunt force trauma to the spleen happened within two to five days of the trauma being inflicted. On this record, Director Martino was not satisfied that there was sufficient causal connection between the police force of May 30, 2024, and the man’s acute medical crisis of July 2, 2024, to establish SIU jurisdiction. 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