News Release
SIU concludes investigation into death of Ottawa man/UES termine son enquête sur la mort d'un homme d'Ottawa
Case Number: 06-OCD-112
Other News Releases Related to Case 06-OCD-112
Mr. Soucy was found dead in bed at his mother's apartment on July 1, 2006. The afternoon before, police officers had found him lying in a parking lot of an apartment building on Wiggins Private in Ottawa, intoxicated. They did not know that he had just fallen and hit his head. A neighbour saw the fall. Mr. Soucy refused medical treatment and was taken to his mother's near by apartment. His mother helped him to bed. She looked in on him the next morning and found him with no signs of life.
A post-mortem examination revealed that he had died of an epidural haemorrhage.
Deputy Director Ramsay concluded that Mr. Soucy's injury was not caused by any police officer. He said, "Mr. Soucy's brain injury was a result of a fall that occurred shortly before the officers found him intoxicated and took him home to his mother. Unfortunately, no one, including Mr. Soucy, told the officers that he had fallen and Mr. Soucy declined medical attention."
Le sous-directeur de l'Unité des enquêtes spéciales, Me James Ramsay, a conclu qu'il n'existe de motifs raisonnables pour accuser aucun agent du Service de Police d'Ottawa vis-à-vis la mort de Richard Soucy.
M. Soucy est trouvé mort dans son lit à l'appartement de sa mère le 1 juillet 2006. L'après-midi précedent, deux agents de la police d'Ottawa l'avait trouvé par terre dans un parc de stationnement d'un appartement sur Wiggins Private à Ottawa, dans état d'ébriété. Ils ne savaient pas qu'il venait de tomber par terre et de se faire frapper la tête. Un voisin l'avait vu tomber. M. Soucy a refusé tout traitement médical. Les agents l'ont amené à l'appartement de sa mère, qui était proche. La mère de M. Soucy l'a aidé à se coucher. Le lendemain, quand madame est allée le réveiller, il avait décédé. L'autopsie révèle qu'il est mort d'une hémorrhagie épidurale.
Le sous-directeur Ramsay a conclu que la blessure fatale n'a été causée par aucun agent de police. Il a dit, «La blessure cérébrale de M. Soucy s'est produite par une chute qui a eu lieu peu avant ce que les agents l'ont trouvé et l'ont amené chez sa mère. Malheureusement, personne, y inclus M. Soucy, ne leur a dit que M. Soucy était tombé, et ce-dernier a refusé les soins médicaux.»
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