SIU clears London officers involved boat dispute turned drinking and driving injury

The province’s police watchdog said Friday that no charges will be laid against two London police officers in connection with a dispute over a boat blocking a residence that ended with a 54-year-old man suffering a collapsed lung.

According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the man parked his boat in the driveway of a vacant residence he owned with another man, blocking the door.

The co-owner and another person tried to move the boat while the complainant sat in his truck across the street and called police, worried they’d damage the boat.

The co-owner also called police.

When officers responded they said they couldn’t do anything because both men owned the home.

The complainant began yelling at the officers, returned to the truck, drank two vodka coolers, continued yelling at the officers, and then drove quickly toward the hitch of the trailer, nearly hitting the co-owner of the home.

Police demanded he exit the vehicle and pulled him out and handcuffed him when he refused.

Once in custody, the man complained of back pain. He was taken to hospital but was medically cleared and released from police custody.

A few days later, another doctor said the chest x-ray report was misread and that the man actually had a collapsed lung.

The SIU found that the officers did not use excessive force and the man was probably injured when he landed on his left side during the arrest.

The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency that investigates incidents involving police in which there has been death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.