In the early morning of May 5, 2023, Ontario Provincial Police officers and other first responders were dispatched to a residence in Machar Township.
They had been informed that a man and woman had been involved in a quarrel which became physical when the woman threatened the man with weapons. At one point, the woman had retrieved a knife and used it to stab the man several times. The man left the home just as police and paramedics were arriving. From outside the home, an officer called out to the 30-year-old woman, and the woman exited the house onto the front deck. The officer approached the woman and placed his hands on her to take her into custody, after which the two went to the ground. She was handcuffed and taken to hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured sternum and broken ribs. 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 woman’s arrest and injuries.
There was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, and the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.