Stratford officer 'fell short' in duty of deceased toddler, but did not commit criminal offence: SIU
The SIU has determined that a while Stratford, Ont. police officer did not commit a criminal offence in relation to a child who died last year, the officer “fell short” in his duty of care towards the 18-month-old boy.
According to a report issued by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), on the morning of Feb. 16, 2021, first responders were sent to an address on Downie Street in Stratford.
As CTV News London reported in February 2021, upon arriving at the residence, first responders discovered an 18-month-old boy in medical distress.
CPR was performed and the child was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Several weeks earlier, Stratford police had information that raised concerns relating to the child’s welfare, and “Because of that information, the question arose whether the police could have intervened to prevent his death in the days before he passed away,” the report says.
An investigation launched shortly after with that question in mind.
In his determination, Director of the SIU Joseph Martino “has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Stratford Police Service (SPS) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the tragic death of an 18-month-old boy in February of 2021.”
Martino did determine however that the officer did fall short in his duty of care towards the child.
The SIU is an independent authority responsible for investigating the conduct of officials, such as police, that resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, or the discharge of a weapon at another person.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.