News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation in Elliot Lake; No Serious Injuries Sustained
Case Number: 17-PCI-235
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident where a 28-year-old man sustained injuries in August of 2017 while in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) cell.
On August 28, 2017, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers arrested the man and transported him to the East Algoma OPP detachment where he was lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the man punched the wall multiple times. He was later taken to hospital where it was confirmed that the man had not suffered any serious injuries.
Director Loparco said, “The SIU’s mandate is statutorily limited to the investigation of serious injuries and deaths in cases involving the police. As the man did not suffer a serious injury in this case, the SIU is without jurisdiction to continue this investigation and the file has been closed.”
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