News Release

News Release

SIU Investigating Death of Man in Ottawa

Case Number: 26-OOD-043   

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Mississauga, ON (25 January, 2026) ---
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 24-year-old man in Ottawa. As Ottawa Police Service officers may have been in and around the area at the time of the man’s death, the SIU was notified and invoked its mandate.

Preliminary information suggests the following:
  • At about 11:30 p.m. on Friday, January 23, 2026, Ottawa Police Service officers responded to a report of a collision involving a minivan that had rolled at Bank Street and Morningside Avenue.
  • Officers did not locate anyone in or around the vehicle, and attempts to locate the registered owner were unsuccessful. Subsequently, officers left the scene.
  • The following morning, on January 24, 2026, an Ottawa Police Service officer returned to the collision scene. The man was located deceased, near the site of the collision and beneath the snow.
Three investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the case. The post-mortem examination is being scheduled for this week. 

The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php

If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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

Lisez ce communiqué en français.

Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES