On Friday, December 29, 2023, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) announced the result of its investigation into how a man fractured his wrist while in the process of being arrested by Brantford Police Service (BPS) officers.
The investigation into the fracture was launched after police officers partook in a struggle and arrested the Brantford man after he backed into a parked police cruiser, hit another parked vehicle and fled on foot.
On September 2, 2023, at approximately 4:10 a.m. officers were dispatched to the scene after an anonymous call reported that there was a Jeep stopped at a traffic signal on the corner of West Street and Grey Street, and that there was an unresponsive man behind the wheel.
When officers woke the driver, he refused to exit the vehicle and proceeded to reverse over a tire deflation device, backing into a police cruise in the process.
The man then managed to flee the area by turning left onto West Street and officers located the vehicle in the parking lot of an apartment building, having found that it had collided with a parked car.
Police followed the man a short distance north towards a house on West Street as he fled on foot.
When officers tried to arrest the man, he refused to release his arms and BPS proceeded to ground him, and a scuffle followed. The man was then handcuffed and arrested for impaired driving and dangerous driving.
Police officers then made arrangements to transport the man to Waterloo Regional Police Service, as there wasn’t a BPS Intoxilyzer Technician available in town at the time. Along the way he became unresponsive.
Police then conducted CPR and requested emergency medical services before driving the man back to the Brantford General Hospital where he was diagnosed and treated for a fractured wrist.
Joseph Martino, Director of the SIU, noted that there was no evidence the officers committed a criminal offence during the event.
“On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the SO (Subject Official) committed a criminal offence in connection with the Complainant’s injury,” said Martino.
Editor’s note: According to the original police report, the man was identified as a 41-year-old and had struck a fire hydrant while trying to escape. He was also charged with several Criminal Code offences including:
- Flight from peace officer
- Dangerous operation x2
- Operation of a conveyance while prohibited x8
- Failure to comply with judicial release order
- Resist arrest
- Cause disturbance, and
- Possession for the purpose, schedule 1 – cocaine
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
