News Release
SIU Terminates Leamington Investigation as No Serious Injury was Sustained
Case Number: 19-PCI-045
Then Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred in February of 2019 in Leamington.
On the night of February 27, 2019, Ontario Provincial Police officers responded to a disconnected 911 call from an address in Leamington. When an officer noticed a light coming from a window at the rear of the residence, he investigated and found a man in the process of climbing out of the window. The 25-year-old man – who was related to the home owner - was arrested. When he complained of a sore hand, he was transported to a health facility for examination.
Then Director Loparco said, “The medical evidence indicated that the man did not suffer a serious injury. 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