News Release

SIU Terminates Investigation into Arrest of Man at Kingston Motel

Case Number: 19-OCI-105   

Mississauga, ON (5 June, 2019) ---
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the arrest last month of a man in Kingston.

At approximately 7:30 p.m. on May 12, 2019, Kingston Police officers were dispatched to a motel located at 830 Highway 2 East in relation to a complaint regarding an individual staying at the motel. Officers located the person of interest, a 52-year-old man. After a struggle, the man was arrested and taken to the police station where he was lodged in a cell. When the man complained of pain to his arm, he was transported to hospital for treatment.

When SIU investigators located the man, he declined to provide them with any information surrounding his interaction with the police officers. In addition, the man would not give investigators written authorization to obtain his medical information relevant to the incident.

Interim Director Martino said, “In the absence of a statement from the complainant, there is an insufficient basis from which to continue an investigation surrounding his reported injury. Accordingly, the file is closed.”

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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