KENORA, Ont. — Ontario's Special Investigations Unit finds no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against an OPP officer in relation to injuries suffered by an intoxicated man.
The SIU has just reported on the outcome of its probe into a May 2019 incident in Kenora in which a 27-year-old man suffered a fractured and dislocated knee.
OPP had been called by a local woman who said she had been threatened by a man at her workplace.
After responding officers found the suspect walking along a road, they learned he was inebriated and was in breach of bail conditions.
He resisted when he was told he was being arrested, ignored a caution that he would be taken to the ground if he persisted, and was ultimately taken into custody and handcuffed.
Several hours after he was lodged in an OPP cell, the man began complaining of pain in his left leg.
He was taken to Kenora hospital, and ultimately transferred to Thunder Bay for treatment of the serious knee injuries.
In its report on the case, issued Tuesday, the SIU said it has determined the man's arrest was lawful, and that the amount of force used in taking him into custody was also lawful.
"The force in question occurred only after the complainant had made it clear he would not be arrested willingly and ignored repeated requests that he place his arms behind his back. While it is regrettable that the takedown appears to have caused the complainant's knee injury, I am unable to conclude...that the tactic was excessive in the circumstances; with the complainant on the ground, the officers could better manage any continuing resistance on his part," SIU Interim Director Joseph Martino said.
