News Release

SIU Investigating a Custody Death in London

Case Number: 10-OCD-254   

Mississauga (25 November, 2010) --- Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the death of a 55-year-old London man who was in police custody in London. The London Police Service (LPS) contacted the SIU early this morning and reported the following:

  • At 12:57 a.m. a man was arrested for a provincial offence.
  • He was taken to the LPS Headquarters Detention Unit and lodged in a cell.
  • At 4:13 a.m. he was found to be in medical distress.
  • EMS and the Fire Department were called and responded to LPS Headquarters.
  • The man was pronounced dead at 4:42 a.m.
The SIU has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances around this matter.

At present one officer has been designated as a subject officer and four officers have been designated as witness officers.

Anyone who may have information regarding this case is asked to contact the Unit at 416-622-0748 or 1-800-787-8529.

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