The province’s police watchdog has cleared a Toronto police officer in the death of a 44-year-old woman who fell from a High Park apartment balcony in January.
On Tuesday, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) released its final report into the Jan. 13, 2025, incident at 100 High Park Avenue.
SIU Director Joseph Martino said that the officer, designated as the subject official (SO), “had no opportunity to prevent the (woman’s) fall.”
“On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the SO committed a criminal offence in connection with the Complainant’s death,” Martino said. The woman is identified as the Complainant in the SIU report.
According to the SIU, Toronto police officers were called to the apartment complex for a “wanted person” call. Accompanied by three other officers, the SO arrived in the hallway outside an apartment unit.
The SIU said the Complainant had outstanding warrants in connection with multiple break-and-enters.
The Complainant answered the door when the officers knocked but subsequently shut it when she was informed by police that she was wanted, the SIU said.
“From inside the apartment, the Complainant told the officers she would not be going with them before she entered onto the balcony, made her way onto the adjacent balcony of (another apartment), and entered that unit,” the SIU said.
While waiting outside the unit, police decided to obtain a Feeney warrant, which would allow them to enter the home. The SIU said officers, speaking through the door, informed another occupant who was the tenant of the unit that he would be arrested if they obtain the warrant as he too had outstanding warrants.
The tenant opened the door for the officers, telling them that the Complainant had gone in the other apartment now, the SIU said.
The SO and another officer went onto the balcony and a short time later, confronted the Complainant who had appeared on the other balcony.
“The officer attempted to persuade the Complainant to turn herself in. She asked if she could surrender at a later date, and was told that the matter had to be dealt with now. With that, the Complainant said she would just jump. She quickly climbed over the railing, and fell to the ground below,” the SIU said.
Officers rushed to the Complainant and provided aid. According to the SIU, the Complainant was reportedly conscious but not talking. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
An autopsy was conducted, and the cause of her death was multiple blunt impact trauma, the SIU said.
In his report, Martino said he was satisfied that the SO “comported himself with due care and regard for the Complainant’s safety throughout their dealings.”
He noted that the officer clearly told the Complainant his intention and requested that she surrender.
“When she asked to be allowed to turn herself in at a subsequent time, the SO calmly explained that that was not an option. He had no reason to suspect that the Complainant was in mental health distress or suicidal, and no reason to believe that she would take the drastic action she did,” Martino said.
He added that not more than several seconds elapsed from the moment she said she would jump until she went over the balcony railing.
“For the foregoing reasons, there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case,” Martino said.
