Investigation Into Ottawa Horse Trampling Incident Closed as Injury Deemed Not Serious

Police arrest protesters as mounted officers move toward the main Freedom Convoy protest in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 18, 2022. Richard Moore/The Epoch Times

The woman who was knocked down by mounted police during the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa was not seriously injured, said Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on April 4, hence closing its investigation of the matter.

The SIU said in a press release the decision to terminate the investigation was made after interviewing the woman, Candice Sero, and reviewing police drone and body-worn camera footage as well as Sero’s medical records.

On Feb. 18, a large police operation moved in to clear the site of the protest calling for the end of COVID-19 restrictions, which had been in place since Jan. 29, including hundreds of trucks parked in Ottawa’s downtown streets.

As police slowly pushed back non-violent protesters on Wellington Street, a mounted unit from the Toronto Police Service (TPS) made rounds in front of police lines to also push back the protesters.

Video footage showed horses knocking down Sero and a male protester, and the SIU reported the incident similarly.

The SIU said police officers then quickly surrounded Sero and she was assisted to her feet. She was taken to Montfort Hospital and subsequently attended Lennox & Addington County General Hospital with shoulder pain on Feb. 20.

“A review of the available medical records indicates that the woman did not sustain any fractures and that her injury was limited to a strained shoulder,” the SIU said. “In the circumstances, as the woman did not sustain a ‘serious injury’ within the terms of the SIU’s mandate, the SIU does not have statutory jurisdiction to investigate the matter, and the file is closed.”

Sero, a Mohawk from Tyendinaga territory, told Rebel News in an interview that she suffered a fractured collarbone and that she thinks “a couple” of officers kicked her while she was down and an officer dragged her off the premises by her coat.

“But I walked right on by [police] lines and walked back into safety—because outside of our circle it didn’t feel safe. When I was back in with the convoy I felt safe,” she said.

The SIU said the matter has now been referred to the TPS for further investigation “as they deem appropriate.”

Following the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 to clear protests and blockades, law enforcement was able to speed up the process to mobilize additional officers in Ottawa, and the measure provided them additional powers such as the ability to designate no-go zones, ban children from attending the protest, and compel towing companies to remove the trucks.

By the end of the weekend of Feb. 18, the protest had been completely removed and the public emergency was revoked on Feb. 23.