News Release

No Charges to Issue in Relation to Man’s Fatal Fall from London Apartment Balcony

Case Number: 20-OCD-103   

Mississauga, ON (17 September, 2020) ---
On May 5, 2020, London Police Service officers were dispatched to a high-rise apartment building in London following a call from a woman who expressed concern for her 27-year-old son’s well-being. When officers arrived at an apartment on the 15th floor, they couldn’t get into the unit, but briefly were able to talk to the man by phone. Evidence soon came to the officers that the man was sitting unsupported on the balcony railing. The man then scaled down to the balcony directly below, and then down to the next balcony. As the man endeavoured to maneuver to the next balcony below, he lost his grip and fell to the ground. The man was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries on May 8, 2020. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case and the file is closed.

Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.

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

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