.jpg;w=960)
NEWS RELEASE
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
******************************
On May 30, 2024, a man in the front lobby of the Niagara Regional Police Service station in St. Catharines attempted to steal a purse from a woman. The woman, who held onto her purse, was dragged outside of the station by the man. As an officer followed the pair, the man lost his footing and tumbled down a set of stairs. The 39-year-old man was handcuffed and taken into custody. At hospital, he was diagnosed with a fractured small finger. On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injury.
Full Director’s Report (with incident narrative, evidence, and analysis and 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
******************************
