News Release
Police Did Nothing to Cause Man’s Injury; SIU Discontinues Pikangikum Investigation
Case Number: 23-PCI-221
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury suffered by a 23-year-old man in June in Pikangikum.
On June 10, 2023, while in the custody of the Ontario Provincial Police in Pikangikum, the man attended a bail hearing at which he was remanded into custody. While being escorted back to his cell following the hearing, the man attempted to escape through the pedestrian door of the police garage. He ran towards the door with his arms extended, but the door did not open and the man broke his right wrist on impact. He was subsequently taken to hospital where his injury was diagnosed and treated.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including a review of video footage that captured the incident in question, Director Martino was satisfied that the investigation should be discontinued. On this record, it was evident that the police did nothing, by way of act or omission, that contributed to the man’s injury in any way that could attract criminal sanction. There being patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of the officer is concerned, the file has been 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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Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES