News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Injury Sustained by Man in Sault Ste. Marie
Case Number: 17-OCI-218
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into how a 47-year-old man sustained a serious injury last month in Sault Ste. Marie.
A preliminary investigation found the following:
- At approximately 10 p.m. on Friday, August 18, 2017, Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers responded to the area of Queen Street West and James Street for a report of a man who was swinging rakes and sticks and damaging property.
- Upon police displaying a conducted energy weapon (CEW), the man dropped the rake and police were able to ground and arrest the man. The CEW was not deployed.
- The man later went to hospital where he was diagnosed with a back injury, and he reported this to police.
Director Loparco said, “I have terminated the investigation into this incident as the man’s injury occurred during a disturbance with another civilian, prior to his contact with the police.”
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