News Release
SIU Closes Investigation into Injuries Sustained by Man after Fall from Bridge
Case Number: 12-OCI-082
Mississauga (30 March, 2012) --- Based on the Special Investigations Unit’s (SIU) preliminary enquiries into the injuries sustained by a 46-year-old man in Barrie last week, SIU Director Ian Scott has terminated the investigation. The incident, involving officers with the Barrie Police Service (BPS), occurred on March 22, 2012.
Two investigators and one forensic investigator from the SIU probed the circumstances surrounding this incident. The investigation determined that in the early evening hours of March 22, the man walked east on Dunlop Street West to its overpass at Highway 400 for the purposes of taking his life. He was approaching the crest of the overpass when he saw BPS vehicles converging on his location from the east and west ends of the overpass. A male uniformed officer on foot approached the man with his open hands waving in the air while yelling at him to stop. The man panicked and hopped over the south railing of the overpass and crouched down to avoid the officer. Just as four officers reached over the railing in their attempt to grab him, the man lowered himself beyond their immediate grasp while clinging to the ledge. Despite two officers managing to grab hold of the man’s right wrist, he fell onto the northbound lanes of Highway 400. He sustained fractures to his spine and both ankles.
There is no evidence that the officers caused or contributed in any way to the injuries sustained by the man. Given the Unit’s mandate, which is limited to serious injuries and deaths that may have resulted from criminal offences committed by police officers, there is nothing further to investigate. Accordingly, the SIU investigation has been terminated.
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