News Release
Man’s Death Attributed to Drug Overdose and Medical Issues; SIU Terminates Parry Sound Investigation
Case Number: 18-PCD-268
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-PCD-268
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated the investigation into the death of a 22-year-old man in September of 2018 in Parry Sound.
On August 29, 2018, Ontario Provincial Police officers with the West Parry Sound detachment attended a residence in relation to a bank robbery. A man of interest identified himself to the police officers, but he refused to open the door and he told an officer that he did not want to live. When police gained entry, the man was observed to lie on the floor in a prone position and bang his head off the floor. While the police officers had a discussion with the man, he started to convulse and he went into medical distress. Emergency Medical Services attended and performed CPR on the man. He was taken to hospital where he was placed in the ICU for suspected drug ingestion. On September 7, 2018, the man was taken off life support and declared dead.
A post-mortem examination was conducted. The cause of death was determined to be Acute Cocaine and Fentanyl Intoxication complicated by Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy and Acute Bronchopneumonia. The man had minor scrapes and lacerations on his face associated with banging his head on the floor.
Director Loparco said, “The man died of a drug overdose prior to his contact with police, in conjunction with other medical issues. 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