News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into Falling Death of Woman in London
Case Number: 18-OCD-207
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OCD-207
The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the falling death of a 24-year-old woman from a sixth-floor apartment balcony last month in London.
At approximately 9:50 p.m. on July 15, 2018, the London Police Service received a call regarding a woman in distress at an apartment building on Wonderland Road South. Two officers, one of whom was a trained negotiator, arrived at the apartment door at approximately 10:00 p.m and attempted to speak with the woman through the door. A short time later, an officer positioned at ground level in front of the building communicated that the woman had fallen from the sixth floor balcony to the ground below. She was transported to hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10:48 p.m.
The cause of the woman’s death, determined at the post mortem examination the next day, was attributed to multiple traumas consistent with a fall from a height.
Acting Director Martino said, “It is apparent that the woman fell to her death of her own volition and that there is nothing to investigate as far as any potential criminality is concerned on the part of the officers who were on scene at the time in question. Accordingly, this investigation is 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