News Release
SIU Completes Investigation into Peterborough Officer After Woman Suffers Fractures
Case Number: 22-OCI-014
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Peterborough Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a fractured spine suffered by a 25-year-old woman in the course of her arrest in January.
On January 18, 2022, the woman was arrested by an off-duty Peterborough Police Service officer for theft at a store on Charlotte Street. An on-duty officer arrived and the woman attempted to escape. The officer gave chase and took her to the ground. The woman was arrested, taken to the police station and, initially, declined medical attention. Several hours later, at her request, paramedics attended and took her to hospital. She was diagnosed with spine fractures.
Director Martino accepted that the woman’s serious injuries likely resulted from the takedown by the subject official; however, he found no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1953
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