Ontario's law enforcement oversight agency has ended an investigation where a suspect injured himself in Windsor Police custody.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) announced Friday that it had terminated the investigation into the October 16, 2020 incident, where a 59-year-man suffered an ankle injury while in police custody.
According to a summary of the report, the man was brought into custody for public intoxication and was placed in a cell. At around 4:40 a.m., while in shackles and handcuffs, the man was seen on surveillance video repeatedly striking his foot against a post in the base of the cell bench.
Days after the man was released from custody, he was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
SIU Director Joseph Martino said it was an easy conclusion that police were not involved in the injury.
"Based on the SIU’s inquiries to date, it is apparent at this time that there is patently nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any police officer is concerned vis-a-vis the man’s injury," said Martino. "There are no questions raised with the lawfulness of his arrest. Though clearly intoxicated and belligerent, there was no indication in the custody video that the man was physically injured on his arrival at the station."
With that, the SIU has ended the investigation and closed the file.
