KAWARTHA LAKES-The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation of an incident in which a man was admitted to hospital following his arrest by Kawartha Lakes Police Service officers.
The SIU says on the evening of June 23, 2021, an allegedly inebriated man was involved in a physical altercation with people at a laundromat on Queen Street in Lindsay. As Kawartha Lakes Police Service officers were en route to the scene, the man fell twice in front of the laundromat and struck his head according to the SIU.
Shortly before 7 p.m., the man was arrested by officers without incident. Within minutes of being lodged in a cell, he was discovered on the cell floor vomiting. The SIU says the man was taken to hospital where, over the course of the next few days, he was treated for alcohol withdrawal.
Director Martino concluded that there was no evidence the man had been diagnosed with a serious physical injury within the terms of the SIU’s mandate. Further, Director Martino said it was apparent that the police did not cause or contribute to the man’s ill health and hospital admission.
As a result, the investigation has been discontinued and the file has been closed.
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
