Toronto officer cleared by police watchdog after man's fatal fall in March
· Toronto Sun
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A police officer was cleared of any wrongdoing after a 51-year-old man plummeted to his death at an apartment building near Sunnyside Park.
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The decision was announced on Wednesday by the Special Investigations Unit, which said that director Joseph Martino had found “no reasonable grounds” that a Toronto Police officer committed a criminal offence responding to the incident.
“While the outcome was tragic, director Martino found the evidence established the officers undertook significant efforts to prevent the man from falling and acted reasonably throughout the incident,” a news release said.
The investigation by the SIU, which probes incidents involving police that result in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person, was launched after a wellness check that turned fatal on March 31 in The Queensway-Windermere Ave. area.
Complainant allegedly made threats to kill himself
The director’s report said that Peel Regional Police were in contact with a man wanted for “numerous offences” including breach of a release order, uttering threats, assault with a weapon and mischief.
It was then that the Peel officer became concerned for the man’s safety after he had allegedly made threats to kill himself and they contacted Toronto Police at about 6:55 p.m. as the complainant’s cellphone had pinged at a location in Toronto.
The report said Toronto Police officers were able to locate the complainant’s location at a condominium complex about 40 minutes later and were able to access an apartment unit with management’s help.
Officers began negotiating at 7:56 p.m. with the complainant, who had moved to the balcony and was allegedly hanging from an exterior rail.
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Cops tried to pull him to safety: Report
The incident narrative, meanwhile, said the officers had rushed to the balcony rail when the complainant went over the railing with the subject official reportedly having been able to grasp his right hand while a witness official got hold of his left forearm in an attempt to “pull him back onto the balcony.
“It was raining heavily at the time and the officers were wearing latex gloves,” the incident narrative said. “The wet conditions made it difficult for them to maintain a secure grip on the complainant.”
At about 7:58 p.m., the officers had reported that the man had fallen to the ground.
The report said the complainant was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:18 p.m. An autopsy later revealed that he had died of “blunt-force impact trauma of the torso.”
Another incident reported on Wednesday
The release of the report came on the same day the SIU responded to a similar incident in the morning at a condo complex on Kingsbridge Garden Circle, near Eglinton Ave. and Hurontario St., in Mississauga.
“As Peel police officers were present at the time of the man’s death, the SIU was notified and invoked its mandate,” they said on social media, while vowing to release more information later.
No details were given on the age or gender of the victim.