News Release
SIU Terminates Guelph Death Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCD-355
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OCD-355
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the death last month of a 72-year-old man in Guelph.
On the morning of December 13, 2018, the man noticed footprints outside his home and called police as he was concerned there had been a break-in on his property. A Guelph Police Service officer arrived to conduct an investigation. While the man and police officer were standing in the driveway, the man collapsed and was caught by the officer. Emergency Medical Services transported the man to hospital where he was treated for cardiac arrest. The man was pronounced dead at 12:56 p.m.
Director Loparco said, “The evidence indicates that the man’s death resulted from a cardiac event in the presence of an officer conducting an investigation on the man’s behalf and had nothing to do with the officer’s conduct. 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