When asked why he jumped, he replied, ‘I was half-asleep and panicked’
A 31-year-old Toronto man attempted a balcony escape by jumping out of a second-floor balcony, seriously injuring himself, to avoid being arrested by police in tactical gear at his door.
Witnesses reported hearing screams. He had landed on a woman’s patio. She called 911 saying that he wasn’t wearing any pants and was trying to get into her suite.
Three minutes later police were at her suite.
“My arm is broken, it’s dangling,” the man told police officers.
This didn’t deter Emergency Task Force officers (ETF) with the Toronto Police Service who put him on his stomach and handcuffed his wrists behind his back.
Police asked him where his pants were and he told officers that he had been asleep at the time police came to his door.
Police asked him why he jumped and the man replied, “I was half-asleep and panicked.”
Medics who came to the scene estimate that the fall was about 20 feet. They took him to the hospital for emergency medical treatment.
On Dec. 21, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit released its findings on the Aug. 23 incident and found that no police officers should be charged.
Director Joseph Martino reviewed the body cam footage and confirmed that ETF’s choice of a no-knock breach was entirely reasonable, considering the suspect’s serious firearm-related rap sheet.
Moral of the story? When evading the law, always remember to wear pants – and maybe invest in a parachute.
