News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation Involving York Police due to Lack of Cooperation by Man
Case Number: 17-OCI-285
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in September of 2017 between a 56-year-old man and York Regional Police Service (YRP) officers.
Shortly after midnight on September 1, 2017, the man contacted 911 requesting YRP officers and Emergency Medical Services attend his residence due to a family member having a medical emergency. When the officers arrived at the residence, the man would not let them in as there was no longer an issue. However, the officers advised they had to confirm the well-being of everyone in the residence. There was an interaction and the man was arrested. Days later, the man went to hospital where he was diagnosed with an injury.
Despite numerous efforts made by SIU investigators, no information could be obtained from the man. He would not return messages, and when investigators did get him on the phone, he would terminate the conversation. The SIU requested the man’s medical records from the hospital he attended, but without the man’s consent, release of those records was not possible.
Director Tony Loparco said, “As a result of the man not providing a statement to the SIU, or otherwise cooperating with the SIU’s investigation, 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