A Stratford officer under investigation over an incident from last year won’t face charges.
The Ontario Special Investigations Unit says in a release that Stratford Police officers went to a home in the city on July 3rd, 2017 to check on the well-being of a 52-year-old man who had made comments about taking his own life on Facebook.
They say police reported the man had an alcoholic beverage in his hand while he was talking to them and when he was told to put the drink down he became argumentative and confrontational towards one of the officers.
Police told the OSIU that the man was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and during the apprehension he fell to the ground, struck his head and passed out.
He was diagnosed with a mild concussion.
The OSIU Director said that if the arresting officer had used a “bit more tact and finesse” and “a bit less confrontation and aggression” the incident could have been entirely avoided.
However, he ruled in the end that the officer was legally entitled to arrest the man and “used no more force than legally justified” to gain control of him, handcuff him, and take him to hospital.
He says because of that, there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges.
The OSIU is a civilian oversight agency that’s responsible for investigating circumstances involving police that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.
