News Release
Man’s Injury Predated Contact with Police; SIU Terminates Espanola Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-087
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in January of 2018 between a 36-year-old man and Espanola Police Service (EPS) officers. The SIU was made aware of this incident on March 26, 2018.
On January 19, 2018, the man was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by another man. At approximately 10 p.m., an EPS officer had the vehicle pull over on Second Street. When the officer became aware that the passenger had outstanding warrants, the man was arrested and taken to the police station. The man later complained to his lawyer that he sustained a serious injury during his arrest.
Director Loparco said, “The medical evidence establishes that the man’s injury predates his contact with the police officer. Accordingly, this investigation has been terminated.”
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