SIU investigating serious injury reported during Ottawa protests

Ontario's police watchdog is investigating twocases wherepolice tried to clear protesters from Ottawa streets on Friday and Saturday.

In a media release Sunday, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) saida 49-year-old womanreported being seriously injuredafter an"interaction"with a Toronto Police Service officer on a horse at roughly 5:14 p.m. Friday.

The incident is related tofalse rumoursof a woman being trampledto death by a police horse that same day.

The SIU said it is currently in the process of interviewing the woman and confirming her injuries.

It said the circumstances that led to the woman's reported injuries are also under investigation.

Ottawa police tweeted itwill "respectthe oversight process and will always fully cooperate" with the SIU.

Toronto police wouldn't confirm if it has launched an internal investigation into the incident, deferring all questions to the police watchdog.

Then on Saturday, at approximately 7:18 p.m., theSIU saidofficers from the Vancouver Police Department dischargedAnti-Riot Weapon Enfields which can be used tofiretear gas canisters,plastic bullets or other projectiles at people nearSparks Street and Bank Street.

The agency confirmed tear gas wasn't used but couldn't saywhat other projectile was fired.

While there were no injuries reported in the second incident, the SIU is asking anyone who was hit by a projectile or hasinformation, including video, to contact them.

The investigation comes after Ottawa police saidthey havemade 191 arrests and towed 57 vehicles as of late Sunday morning.

The SIUhas assigned six investigators and two forensic investigators to look into both incidents.