News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Incident at Guelph Courthouse
Case Number: 18-OCI-084
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident that occurred in March of 2018 at a courthouse in Guelph.
On March 20, 2018, a 27-year-old man was arrested by Guelph Police Service officers in relation to bail conditions. The following day, the man was transported to the Guelph courthouse located on Wyndham Street, and lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the man ingested a substance that he had on his body. As a result of the man going into medical distress, paramedics transported him to hospital where it was determined that the man had suffered a self-inflicted drug overdose.
Director Loparco said, “The man did not suffer a serious injury, and his admission to hospital resulted from his own actions. As a result, 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