News Release
No Charges Warranted in Relation to Man’s Death in Shuniah Township
Case Number: 20-PCD-055
Other News Releases Related to Case 20-PCD-055
On March 12, 2020, a woman called 911 to report that her son had threatened to take his life as well as hers. As a result, Ontario Provincial Police officers were dispatched to a Shuniah Township address. A sergeant was able to make contact with the 31-year-old man by phone. About an hour-and-a-half after the conversation ended, the man exited the home holding a rifle and he began walking towards a forested area. Soon after, the man suffered a fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there is no basis for proceeding with criminal charges and the file is closed.
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