News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Burn-Related Injuries Sustained by Man in Kincardine
Case Number: 20-PCI-139
On June 16, 2020, a call came into the Ontario Provincial Police regarding a 36-year-old man who was threatening suicide. The man was located in a remoted wooded area on a maintenance road in Kincardine. The first officer to arrive attempted to engage the man in conversation. About 30 minutes later, the man entered his van, closed the door and proceeded to ignite the gasoline in the vehicle. Firefighters, who had been stationed nearby, were able to extinguish the flames with the help of officers. The man was removed from the van and taken to hospital for treatment. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injuries.
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