News Release
SIU Terminates Brampton Dog Bite Investigation
Case Number: 17-OCI-252
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in August of 2017 between Peel Regional Police (PRP) officers and a 17-year-old male.
On August 25, 2017, a PRP officer attended a residence in Brampton as a result of a traffic complaint. While the officer attempted to detain one individual, several others began obstructing the officer from detaining the man. The officer retreated back to his cruiser to call for assistance. Meanwhile, one of the individuals involved in the altercation with the officer fled. With the help of a police canine, officers located this man in a yard some blocks away. The dog attacked the man and bit him. The man was arrested, and taken to hospital for treatment.
Director Loparco said, “The medical evidence determines the man did not suffer a serious injury. Accordingly, I have terminated this investigation.”
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