News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into injury of Man in Brantford
Case Number: 20-OCI-016
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in January, between police officers and a 31-year-old man.
On the night of January 21, 2020, Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers were dispatched to a rooming house on George Street to investigate a complaint where a man was accused of punching a fellow tenant’s door. BPS officers attended the rooming house and spoke with the man. There was a physical interaction between the officers and the man, and he was arrested. The man was subsequently taken to the Brantford Police Station. The following morning the man complained of pain to his rib area. He was taken to the hospital and for treatment.
Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is apparent that the man did not in fact sustain any rib fractures, as had initially been suspected as a possibility. Consequently, as there is no “serious injury”, the SIU is without statutory jurisdiction in this matter. Accordingly, the investigation is hereby discontinued, and 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