News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Ottawa Officers After Death of Man
Case Number: 21-OCD-023
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OCD-023
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that two Ottawa Police Service officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 49-year-old man while he was in custody last year.
On January 19, 2021, officers arrested the man at his home while executing a warrant to search the residence for drugs and paraphernalia. The man was placed in a cell and later found in medical distress. The man died in hospital of a drug overdose.
Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to believe that either subject official transgressed the limits of care in connection with the man’s time in police custody. 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_reports.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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES