News Release
No Criminal Wrongdoing on Part of Police Officer in Relation to Oshawa Collision Following Pursuit
Case Number: 18-OVI-025
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OVI-025
On February 1, 2018, Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) officers stopped a vehicle in an Oshawa parking lot after observing what they believed to be a drug transaction. The officers approached the vehicle and asked the driver to produce his driver’s licence. Suddenly, the driver accelerated and sped out of the parking lot. A pursuit was initiated. Shortly after, the vehicle of interest left the roadway, crossed a ditch, and collided with a hydro pole, shearing it in half, before the vehicle flipped over and came to rest on its roof. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against a DRPS officer in relation to the serious injury sustained by one of the vehicle occupants.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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