News Release
No Basis to Charge Any OPP Officer who Interacted with Man in Youngs Point Prior to Him Committing Suicide
Case Number: 18-PCD-002
On January 1, 2018, a 59-year-old man contacted the OPP Communications Centre and informed that he intended to take his own life. While a trained negotiator spoke with the man over the phone, other officers were dispatched to his residence. Soon after an officer arrived, and while on the phone with the negotiator, the man shot himself. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any OPP officer in relation to the man’s death.
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