News Release
Man’s Injury a Result of Him Punching Cell Wall; SIU Terminates Simcoe Investigation
Case Number: 19-PCI-055
Then Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated the investigation into a serious injury sustained by a 44-year-old man last month while he was lodged in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) cell.
On Thursday, March 14, 2019, OPP officers were called to a department store in Simcoe to investigate a shoplifting complaint. A man was taken into custody and transported to the OPP Simcoe detachment where he was lodged in a cell. While in the cell, the man punched the cell wall with a closed right fist. When the man complained the following morning of an injury to his right hand, he was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a fracture.
Then Director Loparco said, “The man’s injury was self-inflicted and had nothing to do with the conduct of the police officers. 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