News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Toronto

Case Number: 12-TCD-306   

Mississauga (18 December, 2012) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge a Toronto Police Service officer with any criminal offence in relation to the death of a 16-year-old female in October of 2012.

The SIU assigned two investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. As part of the investigation, two witness officers and two civilian witnesses were interviewed. The subject officer provided a statement and a copy of his duty notes to the SIU.
 
The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Tuesday, October 23:
• At approximately 3:15 a.m., the subject officer received information with respect to a suspected suicidal individual on the 14th floor at 52 Mabelle Avenue.  The officer was told that a female was seen on the outside of the balcony railing.
• On the way to the apartment building, the subject officer advised all other responding vehicles to keep their emergency equipment off so that the female would not be alarmed.
• Upon arrival, the subject officer entered the apartment’s lobby area and spoke to the building superintendent.  The officer went up to the 14th floor and met six other officers.  The subject officer and two other officers gained access to the apartment next to the one where the young woman resided, and went to the balcony.  The subject officer was preparing to lean around the cement wall separating the two balconies when his cell phone rang.  He was informed that the young woman had just jumped.  The officer looked over the railing and saw her land on the ground fourteen stories below. 
• The young woman died of multiple blunt force trauma as a result of this fall.

Further investigation revealed that the young woman was depressed and contemplating suicide in the days leading up to her death.

Director Scott said, “In my view, the subject officer did nothing wrong and none of the involved officers could have prevented this tragic death.  The young woman was intent on ending her own life, and regrettably attained that objective.  There was no communication between the police officer and the female at the material moments before she let go of the balcony railing.  Accordingly, there can be no suggestion that any involved officer was responsible in any way for her demise.”

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