News Release
No Basis to Lay Charges in Relation to Injuries Sustained by Two Men After Being Struck by a Police Cruiser in Waterloo
Case Number: 19-OVI-083
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OVI-083
SIU Investigating After Two Men Struck by Police Cruiser in Waterloo
In the early morning hours of April 20, 2019, police received a 911 call reporting that gunshots had been heard in the area of King Street North and Hickory Street West in Waterloo, and that people were fighting. A Waterloo Regional Police Service officer traveling on King Street came upon two individuals on the roadway and struck them with the front of his cruiser. Notwithstanding the serious injuries sustained by the individuals, the Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, is unable to reasonably conclude that the officer committed a criminal offence.
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