News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Injuries Sustained by Man Who Fell from Hamilton Apartment Balcony
Case Number: 17-OCI-274
Other News Releases Related to Case 17-OCI-274
SIU Investigating Injuries Sustained by Man in Hamilton after Fall from Second Floor Apartment Unit
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the falling injuries sustained by a 31-year-old man last month in Hamilton.
At approximately 10:30 p.m. on September 24, 2017, Hamilton Police Service officers attended an apartment building on King Street East to arrest a man. The officers knocked on the door of a 2nd floor apartment unit, but received no response. The man – who was present in the apartment unit – attempted to evade police by descending from the balcony. In the process, he lost his grip and fell to the ground. The man was able to make his way back into the apartment building where one of the officers located him. The man was taken to hospital for treatment of leg injuries.
Director Loparco said, “Based on the evidence, it is clear that the involved officers did not cause the man’s injuries. The man, of his own accord, attempted to elude the arresting officers by dangling by his hands from his balcony and dropping to the ground below. Accordingly, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”
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