News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation Due to Man’s Lack of Serious Injury in Brantford Arrest
Case Number: 25-OCI-135
The Deputy Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Stacey O’Brien, has terminated an investigation into a reported serious injury suffered by a 39-year-old man during his arrest by the Brantford Police Service.
The man contacted the SIU on April 8, 2025, to report he had been seriously injured in the course of his arrest by BPS officers in February 2025. The SIU initiated an investigation.
On February 6, 2025, while operating his vehicle in inclement weather, the man left the roadway and came to rest in a ditch. He was arrested in the early morning hours of February 7, 2025, after police were notified by a passerby of suspected impaired driver. During the arrest the man was non-compliant, a conducted energy weapon was deployed, physical control techniques including a hand and knee strike were used, and he was taken to the ground several times. The man was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and subsequently discharged with no diagnosis of any serious injury. Medical records, including X-rays, confirmed that the man’s reported rib injury existed prior to police interaction. On this record, it was apparent no officer was responsible for his injury.
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