News Release

News Release

SIU Investigates Death of Man in Niagara Falls

Case Number: 12-OCD-213   

Mississauga (24 July, 2012) --- Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the death of a man in Niagara Falls today.

The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) contacted the SIU and reported the following:
• Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on July 24, 2012, a NRPS officer was chasing a man in the area of River Road, between Otter and Eastwood Streets;
• A short time later, they both went over the gorge wall and into the Niagara gorge;
• The man succumbed to his injuries, and recovery efforts are currently underway to retrieve his body from the gorge;
• The officer sustained a broken femur and was airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital.  

The SIU has assigned seven investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. 

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed this incident is asked to contact the lead investigator at 416-641-1872 or 1-800-787-8529 extension 1872.

 

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