News Release

SIU Determines No Officer Committed a Criminal Offence in Connection with Woman’s Arrest and the Death of Her Newborn Baby Days Later

Case Number: 19-OOD-158   

Mississauga, ON (7 April, 2021) ---
On June 25, 2019, a woman was arrested by Greater Sudbury Police Service officers and grounded in the process. Four days later, on June 29th, the woman gave birth to her baby. Because of the newborn’s premature birth, the baby passed away about an hour after he was born. The SIU commenced an investigation based on a possible nexus between the force used against the mother during her arrest and the death of her child. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the woman’s arrest and the baby’s death.

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

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SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES