Halton Police Officer Cleared in Milton SIU Investigation
Published November 10, 2017 at 5:35 pm
A Halton police officer has been cleared by the province’s Special Investigations Unit in relation to an interaction involving a 17-year-old who was injured in Milton.
A Halton police officer has been cleared by the province’s Special Investigations Unit in relation to an interaction involving a 17-year-old who was injured in Milton.
There are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges, said SIU director Tony Loparco.
The incident took place on July 7, 2016 around 3 p.m.
That’s when the subject officer was driving a marked police cruiser eastbound on Main St. and he saw the teen driving an off-road dirt bike in the opposite direction.
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It turns out the teen had just bought a dirt bike and he was operating it without valid ownership, insurance, headlights or a licence plate.
The teen turned onto a side street. The officer made a U-turn and followed him but didn’t activate his lights or siren.
The complainant – who was looking back at the officer and not paying attention to the traffic on the road as he drove – collided with a stopped vehicle at Donovan Heights and Whitmore St. as he approached a stop sign, failing to notice the SUV in front of him that was slowing at the stop sign.
When the SUV stopped, the complainant’s right foot hit the left rear bumper of the SUV, knocking off his right shoe.
“He got too close to the SUV, attempted to swerve to miss it, it but was too close once it had stopped such that his right foot hit the SUV’s rear corner and he lost his shoe. The complainant, however, continued driving,” wrote Loparco in his decision.
The subject officer eventually stopped him, and the complainant was charged with dangerous driving.
“The collision caused the fracture to the big toe of the complainant’s right foot,” said Loparco.
After he was arrested, the teen complained that his foot hurt.
Paramedics treated the teen before taking him to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured big toe.
The complainant’s father arrived and was with him at the hospital.
The complainant was to be charged with dangerous driving and released to the care of his father.
“The totality of the evidence makes it clear that the injury suffered by this youth resulted from his inexperience and inattention, and were not related to any actions taken” by the subject officer, Loparco said.
“Accordingly, no charges will issue.”
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