News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Fractures During Hamilton Arrest
Case Number: 25-OCI-107
The Special Investigations Unit found no reasonable grounds to believe a Niagara Regional Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the fractures suffered by a 33-year-old man. In the early morning of March 18, 2025, officers conducted a dynamic entry into a residence around Wilson Street West and Trinity Road South as part of a search warrant execution to locate drugs and firearms.
During the man’s arrest, there was evidence the man struggled against the officer’s efforts to ground him and the officer punched him twice in the left side of the face.
Assuming the officers’ accounts to be true, Director Joseph Martino found it appeared the takedown and strikes were necessary to quickly overcome a resistant subject whom they had cause to be concerned had access to firearms.
The man was diagnosed with a fractured nose and orbital bone.
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 (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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