News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into West Nipissing Arrest
Case Number: 23-PCI-266
In the afternoon of July 11, 2023, two OPP officers travelled to a house in West Nipissing, with the intention of arresting a 47-year-old man for whom there were warrants of arrest. The officers encountered the man outside the residence. As he was pushing a person in a wheelchair, the officers allowed the man to take the person into the home. Once inside the threshold of the front door of his home, the man attempted to close the door shut on the officers. The officers pushed back and entered the home. A struggle ensued, and more officers arrived to assist. After some time, the officers were able to wrench control of the man’s arms and handcuff them behind the back. At hospital, the man was diagnosed with a fractured left rib. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer involved in the man’s arrest committed a criminal offence.
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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES