News Release
As Man's Injuries were Self-inflicted, SIU Terminates Toronto Investigation into Highway 401 Incident
Case Number: 18-TCI-272
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident that occurred earlier this month in Toronto.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. on September 11, 2018, a 20-year-old man was driving a Hyundai Accent eastbound on Highway 401 when – east of Kipling Avenue – he became involved in a collision with three other vehicles. There were no injuries sustained by any individuals as a result of this collision. After the collision, the man remained in the Hyundai and proceeded to slash both his wrists and his neck repeatedly with a butcher knife. A police officer approached the vehicle and gave commands to the man to open the door. However, the man continued to cut himself. Eventually, after smashing the driver’s window, a Toronto Police Service officer and an Ontario Provincial Police officer managed to remove the man from the vehicle and handcuff him. The man was transported to hospital by ambulance for treatment of injuries.
Director Loparco said, “As the evidence establishes and as the man acknowledges, his injuries were self-inflicted. As such, 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