News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Georgetown

Case Number: 12-OCD-298   

Mississauga (26 October, 2012) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge a Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) officer with any criminal offence in relation to the death of 65-year-old David Allen earlier this month.

The SIU assigned five investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident.  As part of the investigation, 14 witness officers were designated and 10 civilian witnesses were interviewed.  The subject officer consented to an interview with the SIU, but did not provide a copy of his duty notes, as is his legal right. 

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Saturday, October 13, 2012:
• At 2:15 p.m., the subject officer was dispatched to 27 Hillside Drive in response to information that two shots had been fired at the residence. 
• Upon arrival at 2:19 p.m., the subject officer directed other officers to form a perimeter around the house.  He received further information that an occupant of the house, Mr. David Allen, had .357 magnum and .38 calibre firearms.  He was further informed by the dispatcher that David Allen had shot and killed 52-year-old Debra Allen. 
• At 2:57 p.m., the garage door opened and the subject officer heard a gunshot.  He and other officers yelled at Mr. Allen to drop his gun and exit the garage.  Mr. Allen asked if he would be shot if he came out, and was informed by the officers that he would not be if he threw his gun out and left the garage with his hands up, and then lay down in a prone position.  Another shot was then heard by officers and civilians.  There was no further communication with Mr. Allen.  The subject officer was informed by the dispatcher that a man across the street could see into the garage and saw a motionless male on the floor. 
• An armoured vehicle entered the garage and found the lifeless body of Mr. Allen with a handgun in his right hand.  Debra Allen’s lifeless body was also found near the door leading into the house. 

The investigation and post-mortem examination disclosed that Debra Allen had been shot three times.   A fourth gunshot projectile was found on the living room floor.  The post-mortem examination of Mr. Allen concluded that he died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head. An examination of the .357 handgun found near the body of Mr. Allen disclosed that the cylinder contained five spent cartridges and one live round.  Accordingly, all of the spent rounds can be accounted for as being discharged from Mr. Allen’s handgun.

Director Scott said, “As a result of this investigation, it is clear that Mr. Allen first murdered his wife, Debra Allen, and then took his own life.  No officer discharged a weapon at the scene of this tragedy.  Accordingly, no officer and in particular the subject officer, was involved in the death of Mr. Allen.”

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