News Release
No Charges Against Toronto Police Officers in Man’s Fatal Fall
Case Number: 21-TCD-208
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-TCD-208
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Toronto Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 37-year-old man in Toronto.
On July 5, 2021, officers responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance involving the man and his wife at a residence on Sumach and Dundas Street. The man fled through the unit’s balcony and climbed across two adjacent balconies before falling about 50 metres onto a terrace below. Officers located the man and administered CPR while waiting for paramedics. The man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Director Martino was satisfied that the involved officers comported themselves with due care and regard for the well-being of the man. Given the speed with which the man acted, the evidence showed the officers had little to no opportunity to intervene to thwart the man’s decision to escape police apprehension via the building’s balconies.
Accordingly, 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://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1628
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