Ontario's police watchdog has cleared Elgin OPP officers of any wrongdoing in the injuries suffered by a man at a St. Thomas nursing home.
The Special Investigations Unit invoked its mandate after an incident on June 22, 2017. Elgin OPP officers had been called to a nursing home in St. Thomas because an elderly resident had become aggressive with staff members and was threatening them. The 86-year-old man, who suffered from dementia, was threatening staff with a wood carving and an umbrella. Staff were able to get the man to his room, but were unable to administer medication that would calm him. Staff then called police and two OPP officers and two paramedics came to the home.
According to the SIU report, the man swung an item at the officers and lost his balance. He fell to the floor and suffered a fractured hip.
"The two paramedics also observed the police officers speaking with the complainant, trying to get him to set his weapons down, and both paramedics described the police officers as remaining calm throughout," the report said. "The three police officers were then seen to enter the room, and the umbrella was heard to come out of the room and the wood carving drop to the floor, immediately following which an officer called for the paramedics to come into the room. One of the police officers was overheard to say that they tried to grab the complainant and that the complainant’s fall was a controlled fall in that the police officers had the complainant by his arms and were able to lower him slowly. No police officer was observed at any time with his use of force equipment in hand."
SIU Director Tony Loparco said there are no grounds on which to charge either of the officers with any offence.