The province’s police watchdog has cleared Sarnia police officers after a man was injured in a police altercation earlier this year.
The incident happened on July 23, 2022 when officers were called to the Insignia Hotel at 283 Christina Street North for reports of a trespasser.
According to police, the 46-year-old man refused to leave the premises and threatened the officers. A physical struggle ensued. After being detained, the man complained of chest pain and shortness of breath. He was transported to hospital via ambulance and diagnosed with fractured ribs, a broken nose, and a collapsed lung.
After an investigation which included interviews, witness statements, and video footage from the hotel, the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the arrest.
“With respect to the force used by the officers, I have little doubt that the bulk of it was legally justified. The Complainant was in a hostile mood on the morning in question,” Martino wrote in a statement. According to his report, the injured man repeatedly resisted arrest and even tried to take hold of an officer’s firearm. Multiple officers struck the man while attempting to detain him. Martino believes that their use of force was justified.
“As such, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case. The file is closed,” Martino concluded in his report.
