SIU clears police in Welland after hit-and-run suspect’s nose was broken

The provincial police watchdog has cleared two officers, after a hit-and-run, impaired driving suspect whom they were arresting suffered a broken nose in Welland late last year.

The Ontario Special Investiguation Unit said tonight (April 13) that there “there were no reasonable grounds to believe that either officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s arrest and injury.” Director Joseph Martoino said in his report that the response from the two officers from Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) was not “a disproportionate response,” noting that the suspect pushed an officer after he was placed under arrest for impaired driving.

On the night of Dec. 13, 2021, two NRPS officers responded to a report of a hit-and-run in the intersection of West Main Street and Niagara Street. Around 9:30 p.m., according to witnesses, the driver of pickup truck ran a red light and collided with a black sedan, whose front bumper was shaeared off. The driver of the pickup truck drove away, but then returned, took the sedan’s bumper and re-fled.

Officers went to the man’s residence and arrested at him around 10 p.m.. Martino’s report said the man tried to run back to his apartment to avoid the police, and fought with the officers as they tried to restrain him. His broken nose was diagnosed after he was taken to a hospital, which led to the SIU opening an investigation.

“The evidence establishes that the officers were within their rights in seeking to arrest the Complainant,” the SIU says. “They had reasonable grounds to believe that he had fled the scene of an accident and had been driving while impaired by alcohol. Witnesses at the scene of the collision had accurately described the Complainant and his truck, and (subject officer 1) had detected the smell of alcohol from the Complainant and other indicia of impairment as they talked prior to the arrest.”

The SIU invokes its mandate when a person is injured or dies during an interaction with police.

The full report, which contains graphic content that might shock, offend and upset, is available at siu.on.ca.