News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Custody Death Investigation in Windham Centre

Case Number: 12-PCD-352   

Mississauga (2 January, 2013) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge any officer with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Norfolk County detachment with any criminal offence in relation to the death of 40-year-old Gregory Rice in December of 2012.

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

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Monday, December 3:
• At approximately 10:15 a.m., the OPP were notified of a barricaded male, at a residence on Windham East Quarter Line Road.
• Officers attended the residence.  When the subject officer arrived at 11:45 a.m., he was notified that Mr. Rice was suicidal, had access to firearms and was believed to be somewhere on his property.  He was further advised that the house had been contained since 10:30 a.m.  No movement was observed in the house, the front door was locked, the curtains were drawn and officers could not see into the house clearly.  A shed on the property was forced open and checked with negative results.  A loud hailer was used with negative results.  Phone calls to Mr. Rice’s cellular telephone went unanswered.
• At approximately 5:30 p.m., a member of the Tactical Response Unit observed, from the front door window, Mr. Rice lying motionless on the floor.
• Officers entered the residence shortly after.  Mr. Rice was located between the kitchen and the living room and appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the head. 

Director Scott said, “The only reasonable conclusion to draw from this investigation is that Mr. Rice took his own life by means of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.  There is no suggestion that any officers were involved in Mr. Rice’s tragic act of taking his own life.”

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