Ontario’s police watchdog has found no reasonable grounds to believe any officers committed a criminal offence following a Chatham-Kent Police Service arrest that led to a man being hospitalized with opioid withdrawal symptoms.
The Special Investigations Unit said the incident began in the afternoon of Nov. 26, 2025, when a 34-year-old man was arrested for drug trafficking after a traffic stop. Police were acting on a warrant authorizing a search of the man’s residence for evidence related to drug trafficking.
An officer searched the man at the scene and seized a quantity of crack cocaine and fentanyl. He was then transported to the police station, where a second search of his clothing was conducted and yielded no additional items.
While lodged in a cell, the man began to vomit and was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with opioid withdrawal.
In a report released March 25, SIU director Joseph Martino said the evidence did not support laying charges against police.
“On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the events under investigation.”
The SIU is an independent civilian agency that investigates the conduct of police and other officials in cases involving death, serious injury, sexual assault or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the director must determine whether an official committed a criminal offence and, where warranted, lay charges or close the case without charges while publicly reporting the results.
