News Release
Due to No Serious Injury, SIU Terminates Toronto Investigation
Case Number: 19-TCI-040
Then Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in February of 2019 between Toronto Police Service officers and a 23-year-old man.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. on February 22, 2019, TPS officers responded to the Woodbine Hotel and Suites located at 30 Vice Regent Boulevard after an employee called 911. Upon arrival, officers located a person of interest. He handcuffed, placed in the back of a cruiser and transported to the police station. When he complained of a sore left wrist, he was subsequently taken to hospital.
Then Director Loparco said, “The medical evidence showed that no serious injury was sustained by the man. As such, 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