News Release

Due to SIU’s Inability to Identify Officer Who Kicked Man in Face, No Charges to Issue in Toronto Case

Case Number: 17-TCI-311   

Mississauga, ON (12 December, 2018) ---
On October 23, 2017, Toronto Police Service officers executed a search warrant on a man’s residence in Toronto. The man was found in a hallway and ordered to the floor while the residence was contained. The man complied and lay on his stomach as directed until he was handcuffed. At some point, the man was kicked in the face by an unknown officer. While the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has grounds to believe a criminal offence was committed, no charges will be laid due to the inability to identify the officer responsible for 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

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