News Release

Woman Broke Her Own Nose While in Police Cell; SIU Terminates St. Thomas Investigation

Case Number: 20-OCI-130   

Mississauga, ON (7 July, 2020) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained last month by a 36-year-old woman while she was lodged in a police station cell in St. Thomas.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on June 6, 2020, the woman was arrested for public intoxication by St. Thomas Police Service officers, and transported to the police station where she was placed in  a cell. Around 10:30 p.m., the woman was observed on the cell video to strike the right side of her face with her right hand. She then struck the left side of her face with her left hand three times and her nose started to bleed. The woman was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with having sustained a broken nose.

Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, which included a review of the cell video recording, I am satisfied that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned in connection with the woman’s injury. It is apparent that the woman broke her own nose while in a police cell, the result of her having struck her face repeatedly with her hands.  Consequently, the investigation is hereby discontinued, and the file is 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

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