News Release
SIU Terminates Gananoque Death Investigation
Case Number: 19-OOD-113
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OOD-113
The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the death last month of a 63-year-old woman in Gananoque.
In the early afternoon of May 24, 2019, the woman was at the Gananoque Police Service station to make a report concerning a family member, and a missing vehicle. While speaking with a police officer in an interview room, the woman fell into medical distress. The officer quickly sought medical attention, and firefighters and paramedics soon arrived. The woman was taken to hospital where she passed away.
A post-mortem examination was performed. The woman’s preliminary cause of death was attributed to “Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease”.
Interim Director Martino said, “As it is apparent based on the SIU preliminary inquiries that the woman died of natural causes and through no fault of any police officer, there is palpably nothing to investigate as far as the potential criminal liability of any officer is concerned. Accordingly, the investigation is hereby discontinued and the file closed.”
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