DRYDEN – NEWS – The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Dryden Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a 19-year-old man’s injury while in the custody of the OPP Dryden Detachment.
On May 12, 2021, the man, while resisting removal of his clothing deemed potentially dangerous due to a risk of self-harm, suffered an elbow fracture. Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to believe that the Dryden Police Service officer, who had been called to the OPP detachment to assist with the prisoner, comported himself other than lawfully throughout the engagement. Accordingly, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and the file has been closed.
The Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1540.
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
