The Special Investigations Unit won't be laying charges against York Regional Police officers who arrested a man who was injured after fleeing the LCBO store on Yonge Street with a bottle of liquor last January.
Officers, who responded to a 911 call from the LCBO store reporting a theft in progress Jan. 3 at about 1 p.m., saw a man running onto Davis Drive and began following him in the cruiser, according to the SIU report.
The man was dodging in and out of traffic on Davis, drinking alcohol from the bottle stolen from the LCBO, the report states, and was observed taking a fall during the foot chase.
During the pursuit, the cruiser went over the median and onto the north sidewalk, travelling east, with emergency lights activated, to follow the man. After falling, the man stood and ran onto the westbound lane of Davis. The cruiser then left the sidewalk to enter the intersection of Longford and Davis, stopping in a westbound bus lane.
An officer then ran toward the man and tackled him to the ground. A second officer quickly arrived to hold down the man's legs as he was arrested.
Following the arrest, officers saw the man had lost a tooth and an ambulance was called to take him to Southlake Regional Health Centre, where he was also diagnosed with a skull fracture at the back of the head. He was sedated due to his aggressive behaviour, the SIU report states.
Interim SIU director Joseph Martino has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any officer in relation to the serious injuries sustained by the man in the course of his apprehension.
The full report is here.
