News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Orillia Arrest
Case Number: 25-PCI-120
In the morning of September 15, 2024, OPP officers were dispatched to the area of Chouchiching Park in Orillia after an individual contacted police to report a man behaving strangely beside a van parked with its doors open. The man was running through the park, yelling incoherently. Officers and paramedics arrived on scene. The man refused to attend hospital and the officers decided to apprehend him under the Mental Health Act. After a brief struggle, the man was arrested. The 37-year-old man was transported to hospital for psychiatric examination. The next day, while still at the hospital, he was diagnosed with a fractured left finger. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injury.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES