The Ontario Special Investigations Unit has terminated an investigation into a man’s serious injury in a cell at the Leamington OPP detachment.
Interim SIU Director Joseph Martino says the injury to a 25-year-old man while he was in a cell was self-inflicted.
On April 21, 2019, the man was arrested by members of the OPP Leamington Detachment for disobeying a court order.
He was in the cell at approximately 5 p.m. At about 9:30 p.m., the SIU says the man threw a punch with his right hand and struck the right side of the cell door frame.
The man was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with having sustained a fractured right hand, commonly known as a boxer’s fracture.
“The cell video recording shows the man punching the cell door frame with his right hand, and quickly thereafter examining his right hand,” says Martino. “As it is apparent that the man broke his own hand through no fault of anyone else, there is patently nothing further to investigate regarding the potential criminal liability of any police officer.”
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
