News Release
Man Alone was Responsible for Self-Inflicted Injuries; SIU Discontinues Sault Ste. Marie Investigation
Case Number: 24-OCI-536
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the serious injuries suffered by a 30-year-old man in December in Sault Ste. Marie.
In the early morning of December 17, 2024, two Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers were dispatched to a residence to investigate a reported domestic disturbance between a man and woman. As the officers were arriving in their cruisers, the man, standing by his vehicle parked on the roadway by the address, cut his neck and repeatedly stabbed himself in the chest before collapsing to the ground. The officers radioed for paramedics to attend. The man was transported to hospital and treated for a neck laceration and superficial chest wounds.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including the review of video footage that captured the incident in part, Director Martino was satisfied the investigation should be discontinued. On this record, it was plain and obvious that neither officer did anything that could conceivably attract criminal liability in connection with the man’s self-inflicted injuries; the man was alone responsible. As such, the file has been closed.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES