NEWS RELEASE
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
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The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into an incident last month in Barrie involving a 24-year-old man.
On Feb. 8, 2021, Barrie Police Service (BPS) officers responded to a home following calls regarding a domestic disturbance. As a result, a man was arrested without incident and taken outside.
Shortly after midnight of Feb. 9, 2021, while in the custody of BPS officers, the man suffered a seizure. Paramedics were called and they transported the man to hospital. He was released from hospital later that day.
Director Martino said: “Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, I am satisfied that the SIU is without jurisdiction to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man’s hospitalization. Based on a review of the evidence, it appears that the man did not suffer any 'serious injury' for purposes of the SIU mandate. Accordingly, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file is 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
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