The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Peterborough Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 19-year-old man and serious injuries suffered by two other persons in a collision last August.
On the evening of August 6, 2021, the officer was conducting speed enforcement on County Road 28 in Fraserville when he attempted to stop the driver of a Honda Civic for speeding. There was a brief chase before the officer disengaged. The Civic then struck a pickup truck. A male passenger died at the scene, and two other passengers, a 15-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man, suffered serious injuries.
Director Martino found that the officer comported himself with due care and regard for public safety in the course of the brief chase. He said there was also no evidence to suggest that the officer was ever close to the vehicle. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
