News Release
No Grounds to Lay Charges in Relation to Durham Investigation
Case Number: 18-OCI-069
On the night of March 6, 2018, a Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) officer attempted to stop a vehicle in Oshawa that had been reported stolen. The driver rammed the police vehicle, and then fled the scene with the officer in pursuit. Additional officers joined the pursuit, and a short time later, the vehicle became involved in a collision in Whitby. The driver fled on foot, but with the help of a police service dog, he was apprehended. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any DRPS officer in this case.
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