A Hawkesbury OPP officer is facing an assault charge stemming from a March 20 incident, according to the Ontario Special Investigations Unit.

The Special Investigations Unit is the civilian agency responsible for “investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.”

On March 20, according to the SIU, a man walking in the “Vankleek Hill area” was stopped and searched by an OPP officer from the Hawkesbury detachment. After being arrested and brought to the Hawkesbury OPP detachment for processing, a 21-year old man was assaulted while in his cell. According to the report the man sustained “serious injuries”.

The SIU released a statement on Friday, July 2, stating there were “reasonable grounds” to believe there was an offence committed by the Constable. According to the statement the SIU won’t comment further because the case is now before the court.

Const. Jean Philippe Mathieu, who was given an award in 2009 for heroism after saving a Vankleek Hill area woman from a frozen pond in 2008, is facing one charge of ‘assault causing bodily harm’.

Mattieu, who is also a volunteer fireman with Champlain Township, received the Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery after a woman lost control of her truck on Cassburn Road after being struck by an SUV. The truck came to rest upside down in an ice covered pond. Mattieu was the first person on the scene, and jumped into the pond, forced the locked door open and pulled the woman to safety.

Mattieu will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in L’Orignal on August 4, 2010.

Sources: Wikipedia; Champlain Township News Archives (including photo); QMI Agency; SIU Press Release

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