News Release
No Grounds to Charge Officers in Relation to Arrest of Man at Hamilton Park
Case Number: 23-OCI-347
In the evening of August 25, 2023, two Hamilton Police Service officers were dispatched to Woodlands Park following reports of a motorcyclist speeding in the park. The officers approached the 48-year-old motorcyclist and told him that he was being investigated for the manner in which he was operating his motorcycle. The man told the officers he was not who they were looking for and then turned to walk away. A struggle ensued as the officers attempted to handcuffed the man behind the back. He was transported to the station and then to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured right wrist. 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 injury.
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