News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Man’s Death in Petrolia
Case Number: 20-PCD-285
Other News Releases Related to Case 20-PCD-285
SIU Investigating After Man Sustains Gunshot Wound in Petrolia
Update: Man who Sustained Gunshot Wound in Petrolia Succumbs to Injuries
On October 26, 2020, the Ontario Provincial Police received a 911 call about a 40-year-old man in distress armed with a firearm and threatening suicide. Officers attended the man’s property in Petrolia, and eventually located him inside a barn. He had suffered a penetrating gunshot wound of the head. The man was transported to hospital, but succumbed to his injuries on November 1, 2020. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s gunshot wound and subsequent 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