News Release
SIU Terminates Mount Forest Investigation
Case Number: 18-PCI-258
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident that occurred last month in Mount Forest.
In the late afternoon hours of August 29, 2018, Ontario Provincial Police officers attended a residence on Egremount Street North to investigate an unwanted man in a home. Upon arrival, police located the 27-year-old man and arrested him. The following day, as a result of the man limping, he was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a knee injury.
SIU investigators made numerous attempts to speak with the man. They attended the courthouse, they went to his home and they called him numerous times over several days.
Director Loparco said, “The man refuses to meet with SIU investigators to provide a statement, consent to a release of his medical records or otherwise participate in this investigation. 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