NEWS RELEASE
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
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At approximately 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 21 a 36-year-old woman was arrested by Stratford Police Service officers for contravening a condition of a release order. She was taken to the police station and lodged in a cell. At approximately 11 a.m., the woman was found to be in medical distress.
Paramedics were called and multiple doses of Narcan were administered. The woman was transported to hospital where she was treated for a drug overdose.
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 hospitalization.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & 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
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