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South Simcoe officers cleared in arrest of Bradford man

SIU finds officers resorted to 'only as much force as was necessary'
2015-12-30 South Simcoe Police KA 02
File photo. Kenneth Armstrong/Village Media

NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE 
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The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared two South Simcoe Police Service officers of any wrongdoing in the arrest of a Bradford man.

On June 28, 2017, officers attended the residence of a 31-year-old man in order to arrest him for failing to comply with his recognizance. During the course of the arrest, the man suffered injuries and was transported to hospital for treatment where it was determined that he suffered broken bones in his foot and a mild concussion.

In his report following a 17-month investigation, SIU Director Tony Loparco said the officers were justified in their actions and did not use excessive force.

"I fully accept that these two officers only resorted to as much force as was necessary to subdue the complainant, who, of his own accord, decided that he was going to resist and fight the officers despite their lawful intention to place him under arrest," Loparco wrote.

Loparco went on to say that "whatever injuries were sustained by the Complainant... were a direct result of the police officers attempting to subdue a large and powerful man who was actively fighting and resisting them," and that "any injuries to the Complainant were unintentional and unforeseeable and not as a result of any excessive use of force on the part of either officer."

In closing, Loparco wrote that "Police actions should not be judged against a standard of perfection. It must be remembered that the police engage in dangerous and demanding work and often have to react quickly to emergencies. Their actions should be judged in light of these exigent circumstances."

South Simcoe Police Service is pleased at the outcome of this investigation which confirms the two officers acted appropriately under challenging circumstances.

The Police Service will now complete their Section 11 review which is standard procedure under the Police Services Act.

The full SIU report can be found at the SIU website.

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