Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, has terminated an investigation in Barrie, Ont., after finding that a 27-year-old man punched a cell wall while in police custody, which led to him getting sent to the hospital last month.
On Aug. 27, the man was arrested on domestic-related charges, brought into the police station and placed in a cell.
The next day, the SIU says, the man attended a video bail hearing and was remanded back into custody.
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Once the man was back in his cell, the SIU says he punched the wall and injured his right hand.
He was subsequently transferred to hospital, where he was diagnosed with three fractures and a dislocation to his right hand.
“Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including a review of the video recording of the man’s stay in cells on Aug. 28, 2020, it is apparent that the man’s injuries were self-inflicted,” SIU director Joseph Martino said in a statement.
“Frustrated with having been denied bail, the man forcefully punched the wall of his cell, causing his injuries in the process.”
Since no police officers are responsible for the man’s injuries, Martino said the case is closed.
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