News Release
SIU Terminates Woodstock Death Investigation
Case Number: 18-OOD-313
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OOD-313
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the death of a 31-year-old woman in Woodstock last month.
At approximately 1:40 a.m. on October 24, 2018, Woodstock Police Service and Emergency Medical Services responded to a residence in the area of Dundas Street and Springbank Avenue for a suspected drug overdose. Upon arriving, officers located an unconscious female. A family member informed that he had administered three doses of naloxone to the woman. Officers commenced CPR on the woman and administered naloxone to her. She was transported to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Director Loparco said, “The woman had overdosed prior to the police arrival on the scene and the conduct of the police officers on scene in no way contributed to her death. 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