News Release
Assault Charge Laid Against OPP Officer
Case Number: 15-PCI-138
An Ontario Provincial Police officer has been charged with assault in relation to an incident that occurred last summer on the shoulder of Highway 401 in Toronto.
An SIU investigation found the following:
- Just before 12:30 a.m., on July 1, 2015, a 19-year-old man from Oshawa was driving south on Highway 400.
- He began to experience car trouble and stopped his vehicle on the south shoulder in the eastbound collector lanes of Highway 401, east of Jane Street.
- Two OPP officers attended the scene.
- During their interaction, the man was injured and later diagnosed with a concussion.
As a result of this investigation, the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe an OPP officer committed the criminal offence of assault causing bodily harm. Director Loparco has caused a charge to be laid.
OPP Constable Scott Hearnden is now facing one count of assault causing bodily harm, contrary to s. 267(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
The officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 1000 Finch Avenue West in Toronto on February 10, 2016.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment.
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