THUNDER BAY — Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has found no grounds to believe a Thunder Bay Police officer committed any crime in a case that saw a man seriously injured while in custody.
The incident occurred on October 4, 2024 at the police station on Balmoral Street.
Early on the morning of that day, officers were dispatched to the Forest Street area after reports were received about an unknown male walking through yards and looking into cars.
The responding officers encountered a man who provided a false identity, but they were able to confirm who he was, and arrested him on two outstanding warrants.
At headquarters, the man admitted to having fentanyl in his system.
During the booking process, he appeared lethargic, was unsteady on his feet, and was falling asleep.
While waiting for completion of the intake procedures, he fell from a bench to the concrete floor, screamed and moved his right hand to his left shoulder.
Although he was crying, no medical attention was suggested or offered by officer.
A few hours later, when he was asked if he wanted medical attention, he declined.
But when he appeared before a judge on a video link, the justice observed the man to be in distress, and insisted he get medical attention.
Paramedics arrived to take him to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured collarbone.
The SIU obtained video, audio and photographic evidence to conduct its investigation.
Director Joseph Martino found no reasonable grounds to conclude an officer "transgressed the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law" in his dealings with the man.
He said officers involved in the booking process "seemed to have been aware that he was at risk of falling," but "this was not a situation of high alert demanding immediate preventative measures."
Martino also commented that officers did not turn a blind eye toward the man, but rather warned him to sit properly, and knew that he would be taken to a cell soon.
He said the man was also checked regularly in his cell, and that he declined medical attention when it was offered.
