News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Woman’s Fractured Sternum After Collision with London Police Cruiser
Case Number: 24-OVI-315
The Special Investigations Unit found no reasonable grounds to believe a London Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injury suffered by a 67-year-old woman in
June. Weeks later, the woman notified the SIU of the incident and an investigation was launched. On June 15, 2024, the officer, while en route to an emergency call, entered the intersection of Highbury Avenue at Hamilton Road on a red light and struck a pickup truck drive by the woman’s husband.
Director Joseph Martino noted the officer did not come to a full stop at the red light, as he was required to do pursuant to the Highway Traffic Act. Video footage shows the officer entered the intersection slowly and carefully, but failed to ensure that northbound traffic on Highbury Avenue had come to a complete stop before he began his acceleration. Director Martino concluded the officer’s indiscretion was not of a magnitude to amount to marked departure from a reasonable standard of care. He should have continued to advance slowly to ensure that all northbound traffic had stopped before resuming his acceleration. His failure to do so, however, amounted to a momentary lapse in judgment of the type that the law makes clear will rarely attract criminal liability.
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