News Release
SIU Terminates Ottawa Investigation into Man’s Jump from Balcony
Case Number: 18-OCI-345
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the serious injury sustained by a 48-year-old man earlier this month in Ottawa.
At approximately 5 p.m. on December 1, 2018, Ottawa Police Service officers were dispatched to an apartment building in the area of Bélanger Avenue and Bank Street for a man in distress. Before police had any contact with the man, he jumped from the balcony of his second-floor apartment unit to the ground below. He was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with a spine fracture.
Director Loparco said, “The man jumped from a window of his own accord. 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