News Release
SIU Investigating Incident in Chatham that Ended with a Man Suffering Severe Burns
Case Number: 17-OOI-167
Other News Releases Related to Case 17-OOI-167
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is examining the circumstances surrounding an incident in Chatham that ended with a man suffering severe burns.
Preliminary information suggests the following occurred:
- Just after 1:30 a.m., Chatham-Kent Police Service officers received a call about a man in distress.
- Police officers attended a residence in the St. Clair Street and McNaughton Avenue West area.
- A short time after, the man suffered serious burns to a significant portion of his body.
- The 43-year-old man was transported to a local hospital before being airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre.
Four investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to investigate this incident.
The SIU has designated two subject officers and two witness officers as part of this investigation.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529.
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