News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Woman’s Reported Injury During Arrest in Pickering
Case Number: 24-OCI-221
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the reported injury of a 28-year-old woman, who had been riding on motorcycle that fled the Durham Regional Police.
On May 25, 2024, the Durham Regional Police Service notified the SIU that a woman they arrested the day before may have been seriously injured. Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including an interview with the woman and a review of medical records, the SIU has discontinued the investigation.
On May 24, 2024, the woman was a passenger on a motorcycle that fled officers and travelled westbound on Highway 401 in Oshawa. Later, a police helicopter tracked the motorcycle to a gas station near Kingston and Liverpool Roads in Pickering. Officers arrested the driver and the woman. The woman was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a possibly fractured nose. Later testing confirmed the woman’s nose was not broken.
On this record, there being no ‘serious injury’ within the mandate of the SIU, the unit was without jurisdiction to investigate the incident. The file has been closed.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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