No charges for officer in Brantford arrest, but other police misconduct possible: SIU

Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), has ruled there are no reasonable grounds to charge an officer involved in a Brantford arrest where a man's knee was broken. However, the SIU says other officers who failed to activate their body-worn cameras should be investigated for potential misconduct.

On July 10, police were pursuing a 45-year-old man with outstanding arrest warrants. When they located him near Erie Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway, two officers approached and physically engaged him. The man was later diagnosed with a fractured left knee at the hospital.

The SIU's Director, Joseph Martino, stated that the officer's actions were likely reasonable, and no criminal charges will be pursued. However, two officers who were present during the arrest did not turn on their body-worn cameras, which Martino views as a possible violation of the police code of conduct.

Martino also noted that the incident was reported late to the SIU by the Brantford police service, another potential contravention of the code. The SIU director will refer both matters to the police force for review, as well as to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency, an independent civilian watchdog.