Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has determined there are no grounds on which to charge any London police officers after a man's arm was fractured during his arrest.
The SIU launched an investigation after the incident on January 17, 2017. According to the SIU's report, London police officers, joined by officers from the OPP and the Windsor Police Service, went to a home in London to arrest a man who was wanted for not reporting to his parole officer. When they arrived, the 56-year-old man refused to come out of his bedroom. One of the officers used a butter knife to pick the lock, and officers entered the room to arrest the man.
One of the officers reported seeing the man sniff a line of white powder off the top of a dresser. Believing it to be crystal methamphetamine, the officer pulled the man away from the dresser and, after a struggle, took the man to the floor. According to the SIU, the man tried to bite one of the officers and was punched in the face to prevent him from doing so again. While officers were trying to put the man in handcuffs, they heard a crack. The officers were able to put handcuffs on the man and he was taken into custody on the parole violation and drug charges.
Because the man sniffed a white powder while inside the house, he was assessed by paramedics at the scene and then taken to hospital. He complained of having a sore wrist and X-rays revealed an acute left ulnar shaft fracture.
"While I believe that the Complainant likely suffered a fracture to his left wrist during his encounter with the police officers on January 17, 2017, I am satisfied that the Complainant was lawfully under arrest and that the force used by the involved officers during the encounter fell within the limits prescribed by the criminal law," said SIU Director Tony Loparco in his final report. "I, therefore, have no reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence was committed. Accordingly, no charges will issue and this case will be closed."