News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Death of Man in Durham
Case Number: 05-OCD-128
On August 24, 2005, at about 9:28 a.m., the DRPS was called and told that there was a man in the basement of a home on Crerar Avenue with a gun. Shortly after the police's arrival, the man inside the house fired three shots at two nearby vehicles. The police made repeated efforts to contact the man, who was barricaded inside the home, by telephone and loudhailer.
At about 11:12 a.m., the man answered the phone and spoke with the police negotiator. During the next four hours, the police continued to try and comfort the man and convince him to come out. At 3:13 p.m., the man said he was coming out and at 3:16 p.m., the police heard a muffled shot from within the home. Tear gas was placed inside the house and at 3:37 p.m., the DRPS tactical team entered. The man was found with a fatal gunshot wound to his head.
Director Cornish concluded the officers did all that they reasonably could have done to bring this incident to a peaceful conclusion. He noted the incident commander adjusted to a dynamic and potentially deadly situation and called in a trained negotiator.
The Director stated, "It appeared that all of this effort had worked and that the man was going to give up peacefully until the officers found the man suffering from a self-inflicted wound."
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