News Release
Man’s Injury Occurred Prior to Contact with Police; SIU Terminates Kitchener Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-131
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an April 2018 interaction that occurred in Kitchener.
At approximately 1:45 a.m. on April 27, 2018, a Waterloo Regional Police Service vehicle approached a vehicle parked on Ottawa Street in Kitchener. Upon seeing police, the driver of the vehicle fled, and moments later, the vehicle collided with some stone pavers by a house. The passenger of the vehicle – a 23-year-old male – complained of pain his in right hand and was taken to hospital for treatment. Through the investigation, it was learned that the man sustained his hand injury days prior, when he punched a door.
Director Loparco said, “The man’s hand injury occurred prior to his contact with police. Accordingly I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations