Ottawa police cleared by SIU after man sustained neck fracture during arrest
Ontario's police watchdog found the force used during a February arrest was necessary and reasonable, and determined the injury likely came from other causes.
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Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has cleared Ottawa Police Service officers after a 36-year-old man was diagnosed with a neck fracture following his arrest on February 17, 2026.
Police had been called about a man banging on a city bus at Bank and Catherine streets. Officers arrested him for mischief and guided him to the ground while holding his arms, according to the SIU release.
SIU Director Joseph Martino determined the force used was necessary and reasonable given that the man was belligerent and not complying with officers' requests. Video footage showed the force applied was minimal.
Martino concluded it was doubtful the man's injuries resulted from police action, finding it far more likely they came from a fight on the bus or from him intentionally striking his head against it.
The facts
When was the man arrested?
The man was arrested on February 17, 2026.
What did the SIU determine about the force used?
Ontario's Special Investigations Unit Director Joseph Martino determined the force used during the arrest was necessary and reasonable given that the man was belligerent and not complying with officers' requests, and that video footage showed the force applied was minimal.
What likely caused the man's neck fracture?
SIU Director Joseph Martino concluded it was far more likely the man's neck fracture came from a fight on the bus or from him intentionally striking his head against it, rather than from police action.
