SIU Lays Assault Charge against Toronto Police Service Officer
Case Number: 17-TCI-294
Other News Releases Related to Case 17-TCI-294
Witness Assistance
Mississauga, ON (25 January, 2018) —
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the arrest of a 44-year-old man in October of 2017. Director Loparco has caused a charge to be laid against the officer.
The SIU investigation found the following:
- At approximately 5 p.m. on October 10, 2017, the officer observed a man on a bicycle apparently committing a traffic infraction on Queens Quay just west of Yonge Street.
- The officer stopped and subsequently arrested the man.
- The man later went to hospital where he was diagnosed with a serious injury.
As a result of the SIU investigation, TPS Constable Douglas Jason Holmes has been charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm, contrary to s. 267(b) of the Criminal Code.
The officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at Old City Hall in Toronto on February 14, 2018.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment pertaining to this investigation.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid
- report the results of any investigations to the Attorney General.