News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation in Atikokan
Case Number: 17-PCI-362
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 24-year-old man who was lodged in an Ontario Provincial Police cell in Atikokan in December of 2017.
On December 9, 2017, the man was at the Atikokan OPP detachment when he was arrested and lodged in a cell. The man was released in the morning, but later that day went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a serious injury.
Director Loparco said, “There is no evidence that any police officer caused the injury to the man. As such, 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