Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is conducting an investigation after a 18-year-old student was injured in a struggle with police near London’s Fanshawe College.
The unidentified 18-year-old suffered a fractured orbital bone under his left eye during a struggle with police as they were trying to arrest him at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday morning near 190 Fleming Drive.
London Police informed the SIU of the incident once it became apparent that serious injury had occurred to the student.
The student was treated and released from hospital. No details on why the student was arrested have been released.
The SIU has designated two officers as subjects of the investigation and an additional five officers as witnesses. As of 5pm Monday, the SIU had not yet interviewed any of the officers.
The SIU is a civilian agency which investigates cases of serious injuries involving police. The SIU has the power to lay charges against police and reports to Ontario’s Attorney General.
190 Fleming Drive is the location of a privately run student residence complex.
The first official weekend of the school year saw 300 charges laid against students and non-students on the streets surrounding Fanshawe College as police tried to regain control of the area following frosh week parties. 290 charges were laid prior to the start of the weekend.
Around the same time as the incident under investigation, a 19-year-old man was arrested after witness saw a man severely kick a cat. The cat had to be euthanized due to its injuries. The man was not involved in this incident and the injured student was not involved in that incident.
The SIU is appealing for witnesses to the incident to contact them at 1-800-787-8529 extension 9007.