News Release
SIU Lays Charges against Officer in Relation to Dawn-Euphemia ATV Collision
Case Number: 16-PVI-183
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has caused charges to be laid against an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer in relation to a June 2016 incident in Dawn-Euphemia, located north of Chatham-Kent. At the time of the incident, the officer was working at the Lambton County Petrolia Detachment.
The SIU investigation found the following:
- In the evening hours of June 22, 2016, a 24-year-old man was operating an all-terrain vehicle.
- Sometime later, the man was involved in a motor vehicle collision and sustained serious injuries.
As a result of the SIU investigation, OPP Constable Sean Coughlan is now facing the following charges under the Criminal Code:
- One count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, contrary to section 221;
- One count of obstruct peace officer, contrary to section 129(a);
- Two counts of perjury, contrary to section 131(1); and
- Two counts of obstruct justice, contrary to section 139(2).
Constable Coughlan was arrested today by members of the SIU and subsequently released on an undertaking given to a peace officer.
The officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 700 North Christie Street in Sarnia on February 28, 2017.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment.
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