News Release

SIU Appeals for Witnesses to Arrest in Cambridge

Case Number: 06-PCD-192   

TORONTO (16 November, 2006) --- Six investigators from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are probing the circumstances of a 25-year-old man's death that occurred after he was arrested by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

On November 12, 2006, at about 2:00 a.m., an OPP officer in a marked cruiser stopped a man driving a black 2002 Nissan Maxima for speeding on Highway 7, east of King Street, in Kitchener. The man was arrested and brought to the Cambridge OPP detachment where he was placed in a cell. At about 3:15 a.m., the man was seen to be in medical distress. He was transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

SIU investigators are investigating the nature and extent of police involvement in the man's death. Anyone who witnessed this arrest is asked to contact the investigator at
1-800-787-8529 or 1-905-767-6843 or through the "Contact Us" page on the Unit's website at www.siu.on.ca.

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
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES