After an incident in Richmond Hill that led to the serious injury of a 17-year-old last September, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has found no reasonable grounds to believe a York Regional Police officer committed a criminal offence.
The incident occurred when officers executed a search warrant at a home in relation to a car theft investigation. During the search, officers arrested the 17-year-old male, which led to a “melee” resulting in the suspect’s nose being broken, the SIU report said.
On the morning of Sept. 29, 2023, a team of York Regional Police Officers forced entry into the residence in the area of Yonge Street and Major MacKenzie Drive after obtaining a search warrant earlier that day.
The occupants of the home were suspects in an organized auto theft ring and believed to be in possession of break and enter tools and vehicle master keys used in the commission of their crimes, the SIU report said.
When an officer made his way into a second-floor bedroom, he confronted the 17-year-old male, who was lying in a bed. A physical altercation ensued between the two, which is when the officer in question joined the “melee,” the report said.
The suspect was subject to baton strikes before he was handcuffed and, once arrested, he was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken nose.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
