News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation into London Arrest
Case Number: 18-OCI-139
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in May of 2018 between London Police Service officers and a 55-year-old man.
On the night of May 9, 2018, two police officers were on assignment in the area of Hamilton Road and Inkerman Street. At approximately 8:30 p.m., the officers – who were in a parked cruiser - observed an e-bike being driven erratically. As a result, the cruiser’s emergency lights and siren were activated, and the officers followed the man until he pulled into the driveway of a home on Hamilton Road. When attempts by the officers to speak with the man failed, they told him he was under arrest. After a brief struggle, the officers were able to handcuff the man and transport him to the police station. He was then transported to hospital where a rib fracture was noted. The fracture was in fact from a previous injury.
Director Loparco said, “The man had no acute injury as initially diagnosed, but a previous healing 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