OPP officer cleared in arrest that fractured man's orbital bone

Ontario's police oversight agency has ruled that an OPP officer did not commit a criminal offence when a 27-year-old man's orbital bone was fractured during an arrest in Rockland on March 20.

Director Joseph Martino of the Special Investigations Unit concluded that although the officer punched the man six times, the blows did not exceed what was reasonably necessary given the circumstances. The officer was in a precarious position on active traffic lanes at the time, and the punches stopped once the man covered his face with his hands.

The incident began when officers responded to a collision at Heritage Drive and Patricia Street. The SUV driver had left two separate collision scenes, displayed signs of intoxication, and refused to identify himself when stopped on County Road 17 at 9:50 a.m. When one officer tried to remove the driver from the vehicle, the man grabbed the officer by the neck, tried to trip him, and pushed him into traffic. The officer fell and struck his knee.

A second officer then punched the SUV driver in the face. The man fell to the ground and was handcuffed. Emergency medical services transported him to Montfort Hospital in Ottawa, where he was treated for the orbital fracture and released to OPP custody.