News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Broken Rib After Arrest in Vaughan
Case Number: 24-OCI-149
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a York Regional Police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the serious injury of a 48-year-old man in Vaughan. On April 2, 2024, police received a 911 call about a carjacking in the area of Highway 407 and Woodbine Road in Markham. Officers tracked the vehicle to a location near Highway 7 and Weston Road in Vaughan.
During the arrest, the subject officer said he tackled the man because he was holding a screwdriver he refused to drop. The officer further said he wrestled with the man to release his arms and punched the man’s left side three times as the man refused to drop the screwdriver. Soon after, the man was handcuffed. Director Martino said there was conflicting evidence on what happened during the man’s arrest but he found no reason to believe the account of undue force was any likelier to be closer to the truth than that proffered by the officers, further he said a screw driver was found close to the site of arrest.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES