News Release
SIU Appealing for Witnesses to Port Colborne Incident
Case Number: 15-OCI-166
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is appealing for witnesses to an interaction that occurred early on July 25, 2015 in Port Colborne between a 37-year-old man and officers with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS).
Preliminary information indicates the following:
• At approximately 2:25 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2015, OPP and NRPS officers were dispatched to the area of Moe’s Tap & Wings at 190 Main St. E. in Port Colborne in regards to a disturbance;
• There was an interaction between a man and police officers;
• The man sustained a facial injury and was taken to the Niagara Health System – St. Catharines site for treatment.
The SIU has assigned three investigators and one forensic investigator to probe the circumstances of this incident. Six witness officers from the NRPS and two witness officers from the OPP have been designated.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have witnessed the arrest to contact the Unit at 1-800-787-8529 ext. 1965.
If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.php
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