Officer cleared by SIU in injury of arrested man

CHATHAM A Chatham-Kent police officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection to an altercation in September 2017 that resulted in a 28-year-old man suffering injury to his left hand. A news release issued by the Special Investigations Unit this week stated SIU director Tony Loparco has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the officer. According to details on the SIU website, around 9 a.m., on Sept. 4, the subject officer saw the man riding a bicycle that was reported stolen about week earlier. The man fled when the officer attempted to stop him. The SIU reports the officer chased the man on foot into backyards and over fences and the officer received an elbow to the nose and blow to the head after grabbing hold of the man.

The officer discharged a stun gun, but missed the man.

The chase continued and the stun gun was used again on the man’s chest, but he fled over a fence and was later arrested by other officers.

The report notes the man complained about the pain in his hand after being arrested. Details of the incident also include accounts from paramedics and medical staff regarding the man admitting to being on methamphetamine. The paramedic and medical staff records both also noted the man never complained about being assaulted by police officers.

In the analysis and decision written by Loparco, he also believes the accounts of two witnesses, who saw much of the altercation, that the officer did not use any more force than was reasonably necessary to try to apprehend the man.

“With respect to the amount of force used by the SO (subject officer) in his attempts to arrest the complainant, I find that his behaviour was more than justified in the circumstances and that he used no more force than necessary to attempt to detain the complainant, who was actively and violently resisting his arrest, and who twice assaulted the SO causing him injury,” stated Loparco’s report.