News Release
No Charges for OPP Officers after Woman’s Arrest in Rideau Lakes
Case Number: 22-PCI-161
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the arrest and serious injuries suffered by a 56-year-old woman.
On June 26, 2022, the woman was diagnosed with serious injuries while in the custody of the OPP. The night before, officers were called to a residence in Rideau Lakes as the woman was at the home in violation of the terms of a release order. The officers handcuffed the woman, and while searching the room for a pair of pants the woman could wear the woman leaned over and fell onto the floor on her left side. An officer lifted her to her feet and took her to the cruiser. She was put in a cell and paramedics later attended when she complained of rib pain. She was taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with four broken ribs and a broken right foot.
Director Martino found it unclear when precisely the woman’s fractures occurred. There was evidence giving rise to the possibility that they were incurred several weeks prior to her arrest by the officers involved. In any event, as there was no evidence to reasonably conclude that either of the subject officials conducted themselves unlawfully in their dealings with the woman, it left 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):
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