The province's police oversight agency has determined a pair of Norfolk County OPP officers did not break any laws after a man accused of stealing a tractor was injured during his arrest over the summer.
According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), On July 5, the officers responded to a 911 call in Port Rowan about a farm tractor being driven recklessly. Once police located the vehicle, the SIU said they began a "slow-speed pursuit" with the male suspect driving the tractor.
Police say the man was swerving all over the road, entering and exiting adjacent farm fields. During the ordeal, the man is said to have nearly crashed into the police cruisers and another vehicle passing by. The tractor later blew through a stop sign on County Road 23 while attempting to make a right-hand turn onto Lakeshore Road, which resulted in him rolling the tractor into the ditch, police say.
As the man tried to flee from the crash site on foot, One of the officers chased him and reportedly forced him to the ground to detain him. The man was later treated in hospital for an air gap in his chest. While in hospital, the man admitted to being on a drug binge, and doctors confirmed his injury was common with heavy drug users. He was held for observation but declined to provide an interview with investigators.
SIU Director Joseph Martino has cleared the officers of any wrongdoing or the use of excessive force as the accused was subject to a lawful arrest.
"With respect to the force used by [the officer], I am unable to reasonably conclude that it was excessive or unnecessary," Martino said. "The officer had good reason to be concerned with his own personal welfare as he approached the complainant in the cornfield. The complainant had spent the last 45 minutes operating a tractor on a public roadway with no regard for the safety of others."
As a result, Martino said there is no basis to press charges against officers and the case has been closed. A full report of the case can be found on the SIU's website.
