News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Injury Sustained by Man in Waterloo
Case Number: 17-OCI-319
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the injury sustained by a 53-year-old man who was arrested by Waterloo Regional Police Service officers in October of 2017.
In the evening hours of October 31, 2017, police officers arrested the man at a residence in Waterloo. He was taken to the police station and lodged in a cell. At approximately 9 p.m., the man punched the door to his cell. He was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment of an injury. When SIU investigators got in touch with the man, he would not consent to an interview.
Director Loparco said, “The man did not want to participate in the SIU investigation. In addition, it appears from the CCTV cell video that the man’s injury was self-inflicted. As such, 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