SIU drops case regarding woman ‘injured’ in a Niagara Police cruiser

The Special Investigations Unit has dropped an investigation into a woman who appeared to be injured while in a Niagara Police cruiser.

Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, on March 13, the woman was in the front passenger seat of the cruiser as she was paired with an officer and working as part of a mental health unit in the St. Catharines area.

When the cruiser took off for a robbery call, it ended up in a collision with another vehicle at the Welland Ave. and Dieppe Rd. intersection.

The woman in the cruiser was taken to the hospital and initially diagnosed with a possible hairline fracture.

However, when x-rays later confirmed that nothing was broken, SIU Director Joseph Martino discontinued the investigation as it no longer fell under the ‘serious injury’ terms of the SIU mandate and no longer qualified.

The SIU, an independent government agency, can only investigate the conduct of policing officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.