SIU called in after Oshawa man tasered

February 25, 2009

I'm moving this story back to the top. Someone has posted the following comment: "Actually he is in very critical condition and took several seizures on the way to hospital contrary to what SIU is saying."

The comment was posted anonymously and the person does not say "how" they know so much about the tasered man's condition but, based on my own experience I will assume, until I hear otherwise, that this information is correct. Would the SIU care to be more forthcoming?

Two other taser-use incidents have been reported in Ontario today:

London - Suspect tasered in animal cruelty incident

Welland - Cops tasered man who refused to drop knives

The SIU was presumably not called in for either of these incidents. The man in Welland was taken to the hospital ("just to be safe"). The man in London was not.


February 24, 2009

Hmmmm. As far as I know, the SIU is not normally called in after a "routine" use of a taser. As far as I know, the SIU was NOT called in when a 22-year-old man in Belleville, Ontario was tasered recently for "resisting" arrest.

See Man tasered in Belleville, Ontario simply for "resisting" arrest

February 24, 2009
By Jeff Mitchell, Durham Region News

OSHAWA -- The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been called in after Durham police used a Taser to subdue a man Monday evening in Oshawa.

Police cruisers stood on guard at the house on Harmony Road near Rossland Road in the hours after the incident, which occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. Monday. Durham contacted the SIU after the incident.

A spokesman for the SIU confirmed a team of investigators had been sent to Oshawa.

Durham police Sergeant Nancy van Rooy said officers were dispatched on an assist ambulance call and became involved in a confrontation with a man at the residence.

"He was combative . . . and it led to a Taser deployment," she said.

The 58-year-old man was treated at hospital and is recovering, Sgt. van Rooy said.

"He's going to be fine," she said.

The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates incidents involving the police and the public that result in injury or death.