News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into the Death of a Man in Timmins
Case Number: 15-OCD-096
Other News Releases Related to Case 15-OCD-096
There are no reasonable grounds to believe officers with the Timmins Police Service committed a criminal offence following an investigation into the death of an 18-year-old man in Timmins, concluded Tony Loparco, Director of the Special Investigations Unit.
The investigation into the matter found the following:
- At approximately 8 p.m. on May 18, 2015, the 18-year-old male and a 17-year-old female were in a vehicle driving north along Shirley Street near Sandy Falls Road when the car was involved in a collision with a pickup truck;
- After the collision, the male stabbed the woman several times using a knife he had in the car. He also stabbed himself in the neck multiple times.
- Citizens who observed the collision managed to free the female from the vehicle and to restrain the male driver at the side of the road.
- Timmins Police Service officers arrived, arrested the male, and attempted preliminary first aid.
- Paramedics arrived shortly after, and both the male and female were transported to Timmins General Hospital, where the male was pronounced dead.
Director Loparco noted that “it is manifestly apparent that the officers were acting lawfully in the course of their duties when they arrested the man and that they neither used excessive force in the process nor otherwise did anything to cause or contribute to his death.”
“On the contrary,” he said. “They did what they could to treat his serious wounds in the brief period of time before paramedics arrived and took over.”
The SIU assigned three investigators and one forensic investigator to probe the circumstances of this incident. As part of the investigation, 8 civilian witnesses and four paramedics were interviewed.
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