News Release
No Charges Against OPP Officer in Man’s Drug Overdose in Cell at Madoc Detachment
Case Number: 21-PCI-371
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a drug overdose suffered by a 44-year-old man in his cell in Hastings County last October.
On October 29, 2021, an officer arrested the man for driving with incorrect licence plates and a suspended licence. While in a cell, he became unconscious. Officers rendered care and paramedics took him to hospital.
Director Martino found no basis to proceed with criminal charges against the officer involved. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):
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