News Release
No Criminal Wrongdoing in Relation to Falling Death of Man in Toronto
Case Number: 18-TCD-155
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-TCD-155
On May 27, 2018, several officers with the Toronto Police Service (TPS) attended a building located on Yonge Street after receiving a report of a man on the rooftop of the seven story building. Officers went out onto the roof where they saw the man sitting on a two foot high retaining wall, which ran along the edge of the building’s roof. When an officer asked the man if he could help, the man remained seated, with his head in his hands; he appeared to be speaking to himself. Shortly after, the man jumped from the roof. Then Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against a TPS officer in relation to the death of the 37-year-old man.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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