News Release
SIU Investigates Ottawa Custody Injury
Case Number: 07-OCD-201
Other News Releases Related to Case 07-OCD-201
The man, identified as Carlos Alcantara-Gomez, was taken into police custody on October 2, 2007, after an incident that occurred on the corner of Daly Avenue and Waller Street. He was involved in an altercation with a civilian bystander and Ottawa Police Service (OPS) officers and was struck by a police cruiser. Mr. Alcantara-Gomez was arrested by police for various offences and placed under police guard at the hospital, where he was being treated for serious back injuries. SIU investigators are continuing to probe the circumstances surrounding those injuries. One subject and 16 witness officers from the OPS have been designated.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mr. Alcantara-Gomez broke and then fell from his second floor hospital room window. He landed on a roof below and suffered serious head injuries. Due to the fact Mr. Alcantara-Gomez was in police custody and suffered serious injuries from the fall, SIU investigators are now also examining the circumstances of this incident.
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