News Release
Man’s Injury Sustained When He Punched Cell Door; SIU Terminates Timmins Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-352
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the injury sustained by a 40-year-old man last month in Timmins.
At approximately 6 p.m. on December 12, 2018, a Timmins Police Service (TPS) officer was dispatched to a restaurant on Cedar Street South in response to a man refusing to leave. The man was arrested and transported to the TPS headquarters where he was lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the man punched the Plexiglas portion of the cell door frame with a clenched right fist. Then with the heel of his left palm, he again struck the Plexiglas portion of the cell’s frame. When the man complained of pain in his hand, he was taken to hospital for treatment.
Director Loparco said, “The cell video clearly establishes that the man’s injury was self-inflicted. 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