News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Arrest of Man in Puslinch
Case Number: 17-PCI-346
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into last month’s arrest of a 30-year-old man by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers with the Wellington detachment.
On the morning of November 23, 2017, OPP officers attended a residence on Gore Road to arrest a man. Upon seeing a police cruiser, the man fled his home through a back door and ran down a forest path. When he turned his head to look back at the residence, he tripped and struck his right hand on a rock. The man eventually returned to his home, where he was arrested. He was transported to hospital for treatment.
Director Loparco said, “The man’s injury was caused by a fall, and no police conduct contributed to that fall. Accordingly, 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