News Release
SIU Terminates Vaughan Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-011
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in January of 2019 in Vaughan between a 48-year-old man and York Regional Police (YRP) officers.
At approximately 2 a.m. on January 12, 2019, YRP officers attended a residence in Vaughan for a domestic situation. Officers spoke with the man, who then excused himself and went to the second floor of the home. When a large dog ran down the stairs, the police officers immediately ran out the front door to avoid the dog. While out in the front yard of the residence, the police officers heard a loud bang coming from the backyard of the residence. The police officers went to investigate and found the 48-year-old man lying on the ground with an injured leg. He had jumped from a second-floor window and landed on the roof of a gazebo which collapsed. EMS transported the man to hospital for treatment.
Director Loparco said, “The man’s injury was not caused by police and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. 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