Ontario’s police watchdog has cleared London police of any wrongdoing in relation to an incident in which a 17-year-old boy suffered a fractured orbital bone while he was taken into custody last year.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) recently released its report on the Oct. 23, 2018, arrest at a London group home.
According to the report, police were called to the home earlier that day in response to a 17-year-old who had allegedly armed himself with a knife and threatened to use it to harm himself and others.
When responding officers arrived, the youth was no longer holding the knife, however police were not yet aware of that at the time of the arrest, the report states.
According to the report, the youth yelled at and threatened the officers, allegedly daring them to shoot him.
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One of the officers then reportedly grabbed the youth in a bear hug. The officer was concerned about the safety of the home’s staff and residents, the report states. His partner then reportedly wrapped his left arm around the youth’s head.
According to the report, the teen struggled, and all three people slammed into a car that was parked in the driveway. The teen was eventually taken to the ground in the front yard, the report says.
During the arrest, one of the officers was reportedly bitten on the leg and reacted by punching the youth two to three times in the right side of his face. The report states another officer was kicked in the eye by the youth and responded with two knee strikes to the youth’s thigh.
The teen was handcuffed and had a spit mask applied to his face as he continued to spit at the officers, according to the report.
The teen was eventually taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with injuries, the most serious being a fractured orbital bone.
Interim SIU director Joseph Marino said he is satisfied that the amount of force used by the officers was justified.
“The violence that prompted the 911 call to police was still on display as the officers arrived,” Marino said. “Though the officers could not see a knife in the complainant’s possession, he was wearing loose-fitting clothing, and they were entitled to proceed with caution lest the knife be hidden on the complainant’s person.
“I find no fault with the officers’ decision to physically engage the complainant at this time; given the complainant’s erratic behaviour, they had legitimate cause to be concerned for the safety of the people standing on the porch in close proximity to the complainant.”
Martino also said there was no evidence that the conduct of the officers constituted excessive use of force, and therefore, there is no basis for proceeding with charges.
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