News Release
No Basis to Lay Charges in Relation to Drowning Death of Man in Lindsay
Case Number: 18-OCD-278
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OCD-278
SIU Investigating after Man’s Body Recovered from River in Lindsay
On the evening of September 16, 2018, the Kawartha Lakes Police Service was made aware of a man behaving strangely in the area of William Street North. Officers were dispatched and they located the man in some bushes on the embankment that sloped toward the Scugog River. The man fled from the officers and entered the water. Both police and the fire department attempted to locate him. His body was found the following day in the river. The Interim Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against any officer in relation to the 34-year-old man’s drowning 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