News Release

SIU Investigating Arrest in Hamilton

Case Number: 16-OCI-196   

Mississauga, ON (26 July, 2016) ---
The Special Investigations Unit is examining the circumstances surrounding the arrest of a 31-year-old woman who was struck by a conducted energy weapon in Hamilton early Monday morning.

Preliminary information indicates the following:
  • Just before 1:00 a.m. on July 25, a taxi driver was operating in the area of John Street South and Hunter Street East.  
  • The taxi driver encountered a 31-year-old female pedestrian who was brandishing a large knife. 
  • The taxi driver alerted Hamilton Police Service officers, who happened to be in the area.
  • There was an interaction between the officers and the woman and a conducted energy weapon was deployed twice.
  • The woman was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she has been admitted.     
    
The SIU has designated one subject officer and four witness officers as part of this investigation.

Four investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to investigate this incident.

The SIU is urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. 

If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.php

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

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