The former director of Ontario’s police watchdog said the Special Investigations Unit should reopen a case he closed into an OPP officer who left an Orillia woman with a busted knee given new information from a recent court ruling.

Ian Scott decided in May 2013, after a one-month investigation, not to charge Sgt. Russell Watson. He told the Star on Tuesday that he didn’t remember the case, adding “All I can say is that I made the decision not to charge based upon the information available at the time.”

He spoke on the same day another former SIU director, Ontario Ombudsman André Marin, said he is looking into why the SIU is keeping secret its findings from that initial investigation into Watson.

Watson was investigated after an altercation with 48-year-old Tonie Farrell on April 2, 2013 that left Farrell with a damaged knee, bruises all over her body and a missing tooth. Watson was responding to an apparent assault of another woman near an Orillia convenience store. Farrell testified that she was in the area and witnessed the woman being assaulted by three assailants and went to her aide.

Farrell was originally charged with assaulting and obstructing Watson, but those charges were dismissed two weeks ago by Ontario Court Justice George Beatty, who instead lashed out at Watson.

“He suffered no injury and her injuries were catastrophic,” wrote Beatty.

Scott said that “if more information surfaced as a result of the trial against Ms. Farrell, the SIU should reopen the case and have another look at it.”

Current SIU director Tony Loparco is still waiting for Beatty’s decision and transcripts from the trial to decide on reopening the case, said SIU spokeswoman Jasbir Brar.

Scott decided in May 2013 not to lay charges against Watson, but the SIU never issued a news release with a summary of its findings, as is typically the case. Brar said because the matter is under review, she could not provide the Star with a summary of findings from the initial investigation. She did not comment directly on Marin’s announcement.

Marin said the summary should have been released publicly when the investigation was completed. He said he has asked his staff to “follow up” with the SIU.

“Right now I don’t have all the information, except to say I’m very concerned about secrecy getting back into the SIU,” Marin told the Star on Tuesday. “Transparency and confidence in the SIU and the police dictate that there should be a public account of its investigations.”

Beatty wrote that Farrell was a “Good Samaritan” who was trying to help the woman she said was assaulted by three people. Farrell testified that when she tried to provide a description of the attackers to Watson, he told her to “shut the f--- up” and kicked her to the ground shortly after she asked him for his name and badge number.

Watson testified that Farrell was “very animated” and distracting, and that he believed she had been drinking. He remains employed with the OPP, and is not facing disciplinary proceedings.

An OPP spokesman said Watson did not wish to comment.

Marin said that right now his office is simply conducting an assessment, which could potentially lead to a full investigation.

The Ombudsman’s office oversees more than 500 government organizations, including the SIU. An investigation by the ombudsman almost always leads to a public report containing non-binding recommendations.

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The office has previously released two reports into the SIU, in 2008 and 2011. The first report, titled “Oversight of Police: Oversight Unseen,” recommended that the government amend legislation so that the SIU director’s report be publicly disclosed in cases where no charges have been laid against police officers. That recommendation has yet to be adopted.

Farrell, who said she now walks with a cane and takes daily pain medication, and her lawyer Angela McLeod have been calling on the SIU to reopen its investigation in light of Beatty’s ruling. McLeod previously told the Star she filed a freedom of information request for the SIU’s report into Watson to prepare for Farrell’s trial, but was told she couldn’t have it.

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