News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Ottawa

Case Number: 12-OCD-364   

Mississauga (10 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 Ottawa Police Service with a criminal offence in relation to the death of a 48-year-old man in December of 2012.

The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident.  As part of the investigation, four witness officers and three civilian witnesses were interviewed.  Neither subject officer provided a statement nor his duty notes to the SIU, as is their legal right.

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Thursday, December 13:
• In the evening hours, the subject officers were dispatched to the 12th floor of an apartment building on Regina Street with respect to a noise complaint and tenant dispute. 
• The officers spoke with one of the tenants at his apartment door on the 12th floor, but he refused to grant them entry into his apartment.  The officers left to complete the paperwork on a charge of mischief. 
• Shortly after, the man jumped from the 12th floor balcony, landing on the ground below. Upon learning of the man’s fall, one of the subject officers went to the man, who was at this point still alive, and commenced CPR.
• Unfortunately, the man succumbed to his injuries. 

Director Scott said, “A review of the combined statements of the witness officers and civilian witnesses in my view lead to only one reasonable conclusion - the man took his own life by jumping from his 12th floor balcony.  There is no suggestion as a result of this investigation that the subject officers had anything to do with his death.”

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