News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Incident at Generating Station in Niagara Falls
Case Number: 17-OCI-289
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the injury sustained by a 57-year-old man earlier this month in Niagara Falls.
In the morning hours of October 5, 2017, Niagara Regional Police Service was made aware of a possible suicide attempt in the area of the Sir Adam Beck Generating Station located on Niagara Parkway in Niagara Falls. Before police could arrive at the scene, the 57-year-old man climbed a retaining fence. When he got to the top, he fell and landed on a cement pad which was on the edge of the Niagara Gorge. Police arrived shortly after. Several hours later, the man climbed back over the fence and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture to his right arm.
Director Loparco said, “I have terminated the investigation into this incident as the man’s injury was caused of his own volition and not because of any action by the involved police officers.”
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