News Release

News Release

SIU Investigates Incident in Brantford

Case Number: 09-OCD-010   

TORONTO (20 January, 2009) --- The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding an incident in Brantford involving the Brantford Police Service (BPS).

The BPS contacted the SIU at 4:22 a.m. today. The BPS advised the SIU that earlier this morning officers of the BPS were interacting with a man in the area of the Brantford Casino. The man fled the police and made his way out onto the ice surface of the Grand River. A short time later the man was seen going through the ice. The BPS has enlisted the aid of the Ontario Provincial Police Dive Team to assist them with the investigation.

The SIU has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances surrounding this occurrence. Investigators are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact the Unit at 416-622-1965 or 1-800-787-8529 extension #1965.

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