PIKANGIKUM — It "made sense" for police to take down a feeling detainee, according to a recent report clearing officers of criminal responsibility.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) invoked its mandate for an investigation after a man was injured during the incident in Pikangikum First Nation.
On Feb. 19, OPP were called to a home regarding a man who was allegedly breaching domestic assault-related bail conditions.
Officers arrested the suspect without incident, but when police arrived at the detachment, the suspect was able to run away, according to the SIU report.
The suspect was quickly located and brought to the ground during their recapture.
According to the report, bodycam footage from the OPP showed the suspect complaining of shoulder pain and later checked out by EMS and treated at the nursing station. He was diagnosed with a fractured right collarbone, provided an arm sling, and returned to the detachment.
In their final report, the SIU has cleared the arresting officers as it is their belief "that some level of physical intervention would be necessary to bring the complainant’s flight to an end. A takedown made sense in the circumstances as it would immediately put an end to the complainant’s escape effort while positioning the officers to better manage any additional resistance they could reasonably expect from a fleeing detainee,"
