Ontario's police watchdog says there are no grounds for charges to be laid against Oxford OPP officers in the arrest of a man with a broken arm.
The Special Investigations Unit opened a probe after the arrest of a man outside a Tillsonburg coffee shop on October 30, 2016. Investigators determined the man had gone to the emergency department of a London hospital on October 25, 2016. When his treatment was complete, he refused to leave. As he was being arrested by security for trespassing, his right humerus bone was broken. A splint was put on his arm and he was given an outpatient orthopedic appointment.
On October 30, OPP officers were called to the hospital in Tillsonburg when the man refused to leave that hospital. He was given a ticket for trespassing before he left. Later that same day, police were called to the Coffee Culture Café and Eatery on Brock St. regarding the behaviour of a person inside.
Officers recognized the man and arrested him for breaching the peace. While in custody, he complained about his arm being sore. He was taken to hospital and had his bone reset and a cast put on. He was taken back to the OPP's Tillsonburg detachment before being released the next day.
"Although the complainant did not complain of any pain in his arm when he was handcuffed, both police officers were aware of the pre-existing injury and took effort not to aggravate it," the SIU report says. "However, it was imperative that the complainant be handcuffed in the circumstances, as he was going to be transported to the station and acknowledged having a syringe in his pocket at the time. He was also known to have significant mental health issues, and had been involved with the Tillsonburg detachment many times before.
The SIU says there was no evidence that the Oxford OPP officers used any force whatsoever when arresting the man.