News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Injury Sustained by Woman Lodged in Grand Bend OPP Cell
Case Number: 17-PCI-241
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the injury sustained by a 20-year-old woman last month in Grand Bend.
At approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, September 3, 2017, the woman was arrested in downtown Grand Bend by Ontario Provincial Police officers for being intoxicated in a public place. She was transported to the Grand Bend OPP detachment and lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the woman struck the cell wall with her right hand. She was transported by ambulance to hospital where she was diagnosed with a hand injury.
Director Loparco said, “The evidence collected in the course of the SIU’s initial inquiries established that the woman’s injury was self-inflicted. As such, this incident does not fall within the mandate of the SIU and therefore 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