THUNDER BAY — The province’s Special Investigations Unit says there was no wrongdoing by Thunder Bay police after a 16-year-old male youth was seriously injured during an arrest in the city earlier this year.
In a report released on April 8, the director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Joseph Martino determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the officer involved.
On Jan. 23, two city police officers arrived at an address on Academy Drive following 911 calls from tenants of the building stating that someone was kicking at the front entrance door attempting to get in.
The officers confronted a 16-year-old male youth by the entrance and noticed that the front door glass was broken, according to the report.
Soon after the youth admitted to causing the damage, he fled and an officer gave chase.
When the officer grabbed onto the youth, both slipped and fell. The youth was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a serious injury.
Martino states in the report “there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the youth’s arrest and injury.”
