News Release
Man in Maple Suffered Injuries when he Jumped from Townhouse Window; SIU Discontinues Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-290
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injuries sustained by a 27-year-old man last month when he jumped from a window to evade police in Maple.
On the afternoon of November 30, 2019, York Regional Police officers attended a townhouse in Maple in response to a 911 call from a third-party complaining about a domestic disturbance. The 27-year-old man, who was at the home in breach of a condition of a court order, jumped from a second-floor window to the ground below to evade police. Police located him a short time later and arranged for him to be transported to hospital. The man was diagnosed with fractures to his heels and lower left leg
Interim Director Martino said, “It is apparent based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned with respect to the man’s injuries. Accordingly, 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