Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has ruled there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against a Sarnia police officer after a woman was injured while being arrested.
On August 26, 2017 officers were called to the home of a 28-year-old woman who indicated she was going to harm herself.
The SIU said the woman refused to come out of the residence, but placed her body partially outside the door to hand over her phone.
The officer took the chance to arrest her on an outstanding warrant.
During the arrest, the woman, who was drunk at the time, allegedly punched the officer in the head repeatedly. The SIU said the officer defended himself by striking the woman in the face, fracturing her nasal bone.
The officer also suffered injuries, including a welt inside of his lower lip.
The woman was taken to Sarnia police headquarters and then transported to the hospital for treatment.
SIU Director Tony Loparco determined the officer was acting within his lawful duties at the time he arrested and removed the complainant from her home. Loparco also found that with respect to the amount of force used, the officer was defending himself against the assault.
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates incidents involving police where there has been death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.
-With files from Josh Boyce
