News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Man’s Fall into River from Bridge in Midhurst
Case Number: 18-PCI-086
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an injury suffered by a 74-year-old man in Midhurst in March of 2018.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on March 23, 2018, 911 received a call regarding a man attempting to commit suicide on a foot bridge located on the Hunter Russell Nature Trail, near Cairns Road. Upon arrival, two primary care paramedics and an Ontario Provincial Police officer saw a man hanging from the bridge with two dog leashes tied around his neck. While the paramedics attempted to pull the man back over the railing, the officer held onto their utility belts. When the leash around the man’s neck became too tight, one of the paramedics cut it, causing the man to drop approximately five meters down into the water below. The man was brought to shore. At hospital, he was diagnosed with a fractured ankle.
Director Loparco said, “The evidence is clear that no police officer contributed in any way to the man’s injury. Accordingly, 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