Ontario's law enforcement watchdog agency has exonerated Windsor police after a February arrest resulted in an injury.
It happened on February 26 in a shopping centre parking lot on Dougall Avenue. The officer made his way to the location after hearing a report about a man being disruptive toward customers and security at the Walmart store.
The report also indicated that the man was entering a nearby ice cream parlour with what appeared to be a gun in his hand.
According to the report issued Friday by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the officer tried to arrest the man, who tried to run. The officer caught up and a scuffle took place. In an effort to subdue the man, the officer struck him repeatedly in the head and tried to stun him with a taser. Another officer arrived and helped place the man in handcuffs.
The man was taken to hospital with a broken nose and an orbital hematoma.
The SIU acknowledged in its report that the man's broken nose was directly related to the officer's actions. However, it was determined that there was no evidence of criminal intent on the officer's part, and the file is closed.
"On this record, I am unable to reasonably conclude that the use of the [taser] in this manner was excessive, particularly as the Complainant continued to struggle against the officer’s efforts after the [officer] re-holstered the weapon," wrote SIU Director Joseph Martino.
The complete SIU report can be found on its official website.
