News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Woodstock Collision
Case Number: 23-OVI-030
In the evening of January 25, 2023, Woodstock Police Service officers were dispatched to the west side of town after an individual called 911 to report seeing a vehicle being operated recklessly. By the time police cruisers discovered the vehicle’s location, the 31-year-old male driver had struck multiple vehicles and collided with other structures along the roadway. When the driver attempted to navigate around a police cruiser, the man lost control of his vehicle and slid into a another cruiser. Officers forcibly removed the man from the vehicle, after which he was handcuffed and taken into custody. He was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a fractured spine. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injury. There was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, and the file has been closed.
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 (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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES