News Release
SIU Investigates Death in Innerkip
Case Number: 06-OCD-204
Other News Releases Related to Case 06-OCD-204
The Oxford Community Police notified the SIU that on November 27, 2006, at about 3:30 p.m., Oxford police received a threatening complaint about a man believed to be armed with a firearm. Oxford police's containment team and the Ontario Provincial Police Tactical Response Unit were dispatched to the call.
Oxford officers arrived at the man's home on Township Road #6 to find the man barricaded inside. They secured the surrounding area and started to negotiate with the man. At approximately 11:00 p.m., officers entered the home and found a man suffering from an apparent fatal gunshot wound. He has been identified as Gary Kaufman.
A post mortem examination is scheduled for today in London.
SIU investigators are probing the nature and extent of police involvement in all the circumstances surrounding Mr. Kaufman's death. The investigation is ongoing.
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