SIU investigates after Thunder Bay police take down assault suspect

The province's Special Investigations Unit has been called in after Thunder Bay police arrested a citymanfor an alleged break-and-enter into a John Street Road residence on Jan. 3.

Police report that, just before1p.m.a suspicious man was seen onthe property of the residence. A63-year-old manwho worked in a nearby business went to check on the situation.

Plain-clothed Thunder Bay police officers whohappened to be in the vicinity were alerted by another staff member at the business.

When officers went to the residence to investigate, they foundthe 63-year-old man being assaulted outside the residence. He was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries.

After a struggle, the officers arrested29-year-oldTyson Stanley Spence, who wascharged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, break andenter and breach of probation. Hehas been remanded into custody with aJan.8court date.

The Special Investigation Unit has invoked its mandate to investigate injuries sustained by Spencein this incident. Thunder Bay police didn't provide any other information about his injuries and stated that further information about theincident will be released at the discretion of the SIU.

A spokesperson for the SIUtold CBC News that Spence was taken to hospital for treatment of a punctured lung.

The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency, independent of the police, that conducts criminal investigations into circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in serious injury, death or allegations of sexual assault.