News Release
SIU Terminates Parry Sound Death Investigation
Case Number: 18-POD-285
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-POD-285
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated the investigation into the death last month of a 61-year-old man in Parry Sound.
At approximately 11:45 a.m. on September 22, 2018, the man suddenly collapsed on a downtown Parry Sound sidewalk, in the area of James Street and Seguin Street. Two citizens attracted the attention of a police officer and requested assistance for the man. One of the citizens notified the officer that the man had just exited a nearby treatment centre. Due to the man being pulseless and with ineffective efforts at respirations, the officer administered one dose of his Narcan nasal spray. The man was subsequently transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Director Loparco said, “Based on the medical evidence, the man appears to have suffered a major cardiac event which led to his death. While the officer appropriately assessed the situation and administered naloxone in an effort to resuscitate the man, the administration of naloxone was ultimately harmless to the man. 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