News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Sutton

Case Number: 13-OCD-015   

Mississauga (7 February, 2013) --- The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Joseph Martino, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge two York Regional Police officers with any criminal offence in relation to the death of a 48-year-old man in Sutton last month.

The SIU assigned three investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. As part of the investigation, two witness officers and one civilian witness were interviewed, and statements from three additional civilian witnesses were reviewed. Both subject officers participated in interviews with the SIU and provided copies of their duty notes.

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Friday, January 18, 2013:
• In the early morning hours, an individual contacted police to report that a friend had gone missing, and that he was concerned over his friend’s well-being. 
• As part of the search effort that was organized by the police, the subject officers made their way to a vacant house on Burke Street.  They entered through the front door and called out their presence.  They were about to climb the stairs from the main floor to continue their search when they heard a loud bang coming from the second floor.  They proceeded to the second floor and found the missing man lying on a bed with a gunshot wound to his head, and a small revolver lying next to the bed on the floor. 

Acting Director Martino said, “Based on the circumstances of the deceased’s discovery by the subject officers, and notes and recorded messages he left behind, it is apparent that the man was alone responsible for his self-inflicted 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