News Release
OPP Officer Charged
Case Number: 14-PVI-119
Other News Releases Related to Case 14-PVI-119
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe that an officer with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Southern Georgian Bay Detachment, committed a criminal offence in relation to the injuries suffered by 27-year-old Bradley Jones in May of this year. Director Loparco has caused a charge to be laid against the officer.
The SIU investigation determined that on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 28, 2014 the OPP officer pursued a motorcycle travelling southbound in the area of Line 2 in Oro-Medonte Township. At the intersection of Line 2 and Mount St. Louis Road West, there was a collision between the officer’s cruiser and the motorcycle. The motorcyclist suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. As a result of the SIU investigation, OPP Constable Daniel Lesperance is charged with one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm contrary to s. 249(3) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
Constable Lesperance is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 75 Mulcaster Street, in Barrie on January 14, 2015. The Justice Prosecutions branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General will have carriage of the prosecution.
As this matter is now before the courts, and in consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused and the community, the SIU will make no further comment pertaining to this investigation.
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