News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Custody Injury in Whitby
Case Number: 05-PCI-130
The SIU investigation determined that on August 28, 2005, two OPP officers were patrolling in a marked cruiser. At about 5:00 a.m., the police were driving eastbound on Highway 401 approaching Brock Street, when they saw a man driving erratically. The officers stopped and approached the man in the Ford Explorer. The man was arrested for impaired driving and placed in the cruiser, where he fell asleep en route to the Whitby detachment. When they arrived at the station at 5:27 a.m., the officers were unable to wake the unresponsive man. He was immediately taken to the Lakeridge Health Centre where he was placed on a ventilator. He was treated in hospital and released.
Director Cornish concluded that the officers involved in this case had no way of knowing that this man had ingested prescription medicine just shortly before the traffic stop. He stated, "Had it not been for the prompt and vigilant work performed by the officers, this man may well have died. Indeed, in speaking with SIU investigators, the man commended the officers and credited them with saving his life."
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