News Release
SIU Discontinues Newmarket Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-124
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the arrest earlier this month of a 20-year-old man in Newmarket.
On June 6, 2019, a York Regional Police officer observed individuals trespassing at a construction site in Newmarket. When the officer approached the individuals, the 20-year-old man fled the scene on foot. In the process of fleeing, the man fractured his right foot as he ran down a set of stairs. The man was apprehended soon after.
Interim Director Martino said, “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, it is evident that the officer neither caused nor contributed to the man’s injury in any manner that could attract criminal liability. Accordingly, as there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the officer’s potential criminality is concerned, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file closed.”
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