News Release
No Charges for Ottawa Police Officers in Man’s Fatal Fall
Case Number: 20-OCD-256
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that Ottawa Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with a 23-year-old man’s death in October 2020.
In the morning of October 7, 2020, Ottawa Police Service officers went to the man’s apartment on Jasmine Crescent to execute a search for firearms, drugs and drug paraphernalia. Seconds after the officers arrived, and before officers gained entry to the bedroom, the man exited his bedroom window in his 12th floor apartment. The man fell to the ground below and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to believe the involved officers contributed to the man’s death due to criminal negligence. As such, there was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, and the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1529
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES