News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Death of Man in Rideau Township
Case Number: 17-PCD-136
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The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident where a 43-year-old man sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound in June of 2017. The man succumbed to his injuries days later.
A preliminary investigation found the following:
- In the afternoon hours of June 3, 2017, an Ontario Provincial Police officer with the Rideau Lakes detachment contacted the man by phone to advise him of pending charges. The officer advised the man to turn himself in, and told the man he would be released on an undertaking.
- At 3:20 p.m., the man called 911 and reported that he had shot himself.
- Police officers and paramedics were dispatched to the man’s home, where he was located in nearby bushes.
- He was transported to the Ottawa Civic Hospital by air ambulance, and underwent surgery.
- The man succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced dead at 7:47 p.m. on June 9, 2017.
Director Tony Loparco said, “A post-mortem examination confirmed that the man died as a result of complications from a gunshot to the chest. When the man shot himself, no police officer was present. As such, there being no evidence that any police officer was responsible for the man’s death, this investigation has been terminated.”
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