The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared a Barrie police officer of any criminal wrongdoing in the case of a woman who suffered serious injuries in April.
The SIU report, released Wednesday, states the incident on April 4 began on Dunlop Street East and continued to Sampson Street and, eventually, to Berczy Street, where the suspect was shot with a stun gun and fell backward, causing the 32-year-old woman to suffer a fractured skull.
At 3:39 p.m., Barrie police received a call that a woman was running into traffic and pointing a battery-powered drill at nearby citizens.
The SIU report stated the incident, which fell under the Mental Health Act, saw police and Crisis Outreach and Support Team officers locate the suspect and direct her to put the drill down, which she refused to do.
One officer discharged a conducted energy weapon and the woman fell backward onto a roadway, striking her head.
She was taken to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, where she was admitted for potential neurological injuries.
In his report, SIU director Joseph Martino said the force used was “legally justified.”
“The complainant was in possession of a drill with a drill bit in the chuck — a tool capable of inflicting grievous bodily harm and death — and she had threatened to use it against the officers,” the report stated. “In the circumstances, engaging the complainant physically carried a real risk of injury to the officers and the complainant. The officers might have considered the use of their pepper spray to temporarily incapacitate the complainant. Indeed, the evidence indicates that the thought did cross (one officer’s) mind. However, she reasoned, reasonably in my view, that the use of the spray might not be effective given the complainant’s level of agitation.”
The evidence collected for the case included body-worn camera footage and three civilian witnesses.
The report states the case is now closed.
The full report can be found here.
