News Release
SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Pembroke
Case Number: 12-OCD-191
Mississauga (23 August, 2012) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge an officer with the Pembroke Police Service with any criminal offence in relation to the injuries sustained by a 19-year-old man in July of 2012, and his subsequent death three days later.
The SIU assigned three investigators and one forensic investigator to probe the circumstances of this incident. The subject officer provided his duty notes but declined a SIU request for an interview, as is his legal right. Three witness officers and four civilian witnesses were interviewed.
The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Sunday, July 1:
• Shortly after 8:00 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence on Pembroke Street East.
• Upon arrival at the apartment, officers saw a man covered in blood and bleeding heavily from the mouth. He was aggressive with the subject officer, and was finally grounded with help from the other officers. They handcuffed him and carried him down the stairs to the sidewalk. He was transported to hospital by ambulance.
• The man succumbed to his injuries on July 4.
Director Scott said, “In my view, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the death of the man. The results of the investigation and in particular the post-mortem autopsy report make it clear that the man died of a self-inflicted wound that was caused prior to the arrival of the officers involved in 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