A London police officer will not face any criminal charges after a man suffered rib fractures during his arrest near the London Public Library branch downtown earlier this spring.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) concluded its investigation into the incident on Wednesday, ruling the officer’s use of force was not deemed unlawful.
The law-enforcement oversight agency was notified about the incident on March 1, 2023, after police responded to a 911 call at the Central Library branch involving a 39-year-old man who was reportedly yelling obscenities out front and had allegedly pushed another man into a snowbank.
When officers arrived, they informed the accused that he was being placed under arrest. He was pushed into the front doors of the library so police could handcuff him. The SIU report claims the man refused to surrender his arms and the pair of officers started to wrestle with him while he continued to resist being cuffed.
One officer reportedly delivered a knee strike into the man’s left side, before wrapping his arms around the man's neck to try and force him to the ground. The man is said to have continued his fight against the officers attempts to subdue him, and he was dealt a series of punches to the head and upper body.
Shortly after, the officers managed to peel his grip off of the front door, bringing him to the ground. The tussle between the man and police officers continued for a short time after he was brought down, and eventually the man was handcuffed.
The complainant was taken to police headquarters and processed and then to the hospital where it was determined that he had sustained three fractures to his ribs.
In his analysis of the investigation, SIU Director Joseph Martino said he is unable to reasonably conclude the officer’s use of force broke the law, stating the officer was “entitled to escalate his force to effect his purpose.”
“That force does not give the appearance of being excessive given the nature of the struggle unfolding at the time,” Martino wrote in his report. “As such, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges.”
The complete report can be read on the SIU's official website.
