News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation After Determining Man Jumped Off Burgoyne Bridge On His Own Accord
Case Number: 19-OOD-016
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OOD-016
SIU Investigating Man’s Fatal Fall from Burgoyne Bridge in St. Catharines
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the death last month of a 36-year-old man in St. Catharines.
On the morning of January 19, 2019, the Niagara Regional Police Service received a call regarding a man sitting on the Burgoyne Bridge at St. Paul Street. When the first officer arrived on scene, the man jumped over the bridge and landed on Highway 406 southbound below. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Director Loparco said, “The man jumped over the railing of a bridge on his own accord. Although an officer had just arrived on scene, there was no time for that police officer to interact with him in any way. 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