Ontario’s police watchdog has cleared Halton officers of any wrongdoing in the case of a 21-year-old man who was seriously injured during an arrest earlier this year.
According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), officers of the Halton Regional Police Service arrived at a home near Woodward Avenue and Brampton Street in Hamilton at approximately 6:00 a.m. on April 17, 2025 in order to execute a search warrant on the residence.
Authorities were searching for a 21-year-old man who was wanted on 16 criminal offences, including human trafficking, child pornography and sexual assault.
The SIU says police received a phone call from a woman alleging that the suspect had posted her nude photos online and was attempting to extort her.
The victim later told police that she had previously seen the suspect with two guns in the residence.
When officers arrived at the home two days later, “the man was alerted to the presence of police outside” and “exited through a door onto the rear patio and was confronted by an officer armed with a C8 rifle,” the SIU wrote in a statement released on Friday.
He was then “pulled to the ground by this officer, and subsequently handcuffed behind the back with the assistance of another officer” in the backyard of the home.
The suspect was later brought to a central lock-up facility in Oakville, where he initially declined medical attention.
“However, at 7:22 a.m., he complained of an injury from his arrest,” the SIU added.
An ambulance was called, and the man was transported to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital where he was diagnosed with four broken ribs and a punctured lung.
The SIU arrived at the scene five days later and assigned three investigators to the case.
After nearly four months, SIU director Joseph Martino released a decision on Friday which cleared the officers of any wrongdoing.
“With respect to the force used by the subject officials during the complainant’s arrest, I am unable to reasonably conclude that it was unwarranted,” Martino wrote. “There is evidence that the complainant did not immediately lower himself to the ground at the direction of [police,] which would have concerned the officer given the information the police had about firearms in his possession.”
“While I accept that the complainant’s injuries were incurred in the physical engagement that marked his arrest, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case,” he added. “The file is closed.”
Authorities have not released the suspect’s name.
