News Release
SIU Terminates Penetanguishene Investigation as Man’s Injuries were Self-Inflicted
Case Number: 19-PCI-036
Then Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the serious injuries sustained by a 27-year-old man in Penetanguishene in February of 2019.
On the evening of February 11, 2019, Ontario Provincial Police officers with the Southern Georgian Bay detachment responded to a domestic incident at a residence in Penetanguishene. The OPP had received information that one individual – a 27-year-old man – had attacked another individual. Upon arrival, officers located the 27-year-old man lying on the floor in a bedroom, covered in blood, and holding a knife. The officers asked the man to drop the knife, but he would not drop the knife. Instead, he repeatedly told the officers to shoot him. One of the police officers successfully deployed a conducted energy weapon, allowing the officers to take control of the man. The man was taken to hospital for treatment of serious stab wounds to the neck. A 59-year-old man was located in the home with injuries. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Then Director Loparco said, “The evidence clearly establishes that the 27-year-old man’s injuries were self-inflicted. 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