Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared two Halton police officers in connection with a July incident where a man and a woman fell from a balcony at a Ghent Avenue apartment building.
The 24-year-old woman died, and the 29-year-old man suffered a serious brain injury on July 7 when they tried to escape from police who were outside the apartment unit, said the province’s police watchdog in a news release issued Nov. 3.
The SIU has released its detailed report, which includes a review of Halton Regional Police records, the scene, police and civilian witness statements, and video and photographic evidence.
According to the SIU report, Halton Police received a report that a man had entered an apartment and threatened the people inside with guns.The caller, who fled after allegedly seeing a 9mm gun on the suspect, also indicated there were knives and illicit substances in the apartment.
The HRPS Tactical Rescue Unit (TRU) entered the building at about 9:40 p.m. and started banging on the door of the unit, which was the residence of the 24-year-old and the 29-year-old.
According to the SIU summary, while officers were knocking on the door, the woman went to the balcony to flee and fell when she tried to scale the balcony.
As medical care was being provided to the woman, officers forced open the apartment door and the man attempted to escape via the balcony.
The man fell, and was taken to hospital where he was treated for a brain injury and other serious injuries.
“The officers who took part in the operations …. were lawfully placed throughout the engagement,” SIU Director Joseph Martino wrote in his decision. “Having received a call about an individual being threatened at a gathering by a person with a gun, the police acted reasonably in deploying TRU officers at the scene. The TRU were trained, and had the resources, to deal with calls for service involving firearms.”
Martino noted that he was also satisfied that the officers “comported themselves with due care and regard for public safety,” even though their actions were the catalyst for the woman and man to attempt to escape via the balcony.
“I am not persuaded that either subject official transgressed the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law throughout their involvement in this matter,” he wrote. “As such, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case.
“The file is closed.”
