News Release

SIU Investigating after Man’s Body Recovered from River in Wallaceburg

Case Number: 21-OCD-110   

Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OCD-110

No Charges to Issue in Relation to Man’s Death in Chatham-Kent

Mississauga, ON (7 April, 2021) ---
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 29-year-old man in Wallaceburg.

Preliminary information suggests the following:
  • At approximately 6:15 p.m. on April 6, 2021, Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) officers responded to the area of Wallace Street and McDougal Street for a report of suspicious persons.  
  • When the officers arrived, a man and woman fled on foot. The man then proceeded to enter the Sydenham River.  
  • Officers and civilians also entered the waters in an attempt to aid the man, but they were unable to locate him. 
  • At approximately 10:40 a.m. today, members of the CKPS Marine Unit and the Chatham-Kent Fire & Emergency Services (CKFES) Dive Team located the man’s body.

Two investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the case. The post-mortem is scheduled for tomorrow in London.

The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.

If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.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

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