News Release
No Charges Against Toronto Officer in Relation to Man’s Fatal Fall from Leaside Bridge
Case Number: 22-TCD-112
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-TCD-112
SIU Investigating Interaction Preceding Man’s Fatal Fall from Bridge in Toronto
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 37-year-old man in April.
After midnight on April 15, 2022, an individual called 911 to report having seen d a man positioned on the outer aspect of the railing on the Leaside Bridge, atop the Don Valley Parkway. Officers were dispatched to the scene to investigate. At the sight of the police officers exiting their cruiser and approaching his location, the man decided to jump. One officer (the subject official) walked towards the man, reached over the railing, and grabbed hold of the man’s jacket. The officer managed to pull the man back towards the railing, but only temporarily. Another officer also reached over and attempted to hold onto the man. However, the man struggled to release the officers’ hold and was eventually able to propel himself off the concrete pad. The man dangled in the air briefly before the subject official lost his grip and the man fell to the roadway. The man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Director Martino concluded that the subject official did not transgress the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law in relation to the man’s tragic death. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and the file has been closed.
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Monica Hudon, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES