News Release
Charges not Warranted in Relation to Man’s Death in Clarksburg
Case Number: 19-PCD-021
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-PCD-021
On the night of January 29, 2019, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers arrived at a residence in Clarksburg following information that a 57-year-old man was armed with a firearm and intending to possibly harm himself. Over the course of several hours, various efforts were made to contact the man from outside the home, but to no avail. When the Tactical Response Unit gained entry into the home’s garage, they found the man deceased. He had shot himself. The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against an OPP officer in relation to the man’s death.
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