News Release
SIU Discontinues Windsor Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-164
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred last month between police officers and a 41-year-old man riding a bicycle.
On the afternoon of July 8, 2019, Windsor Police Services officers pulled over a cyclist in relation to how he was riding his bicycle. When they asked for his identification, he failed to identify himself and he pedaled away. The man fell from his bicycle and was taken into custody. When the man complained of a sore right wrist, he was taken to hospital for treatment.
Interim Director Martino said, “As it does not appear the man suffered a “serious injury” within the terms of the SIU’s statutory mandate, the Unit is without jurisdiction to proceed and the investigation is hereby discontinued.”
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