News Release
No Charges Against OPP Officer in Woman’s Self-Inflicted Death in Chapleau
Case Number: 22-PCD-018
Other News Releases Related to Case 22-PCD-018
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 58-year-old woman in Chapleau in January.
On the evening of January 20, 2022, officers went to the woman’s home after receiving a 911 call to check on her wellbeing. Officers attempted to contact her in the home and received no response. In the early hours the next day, Tactical Response Unit officers entered the residence and found the woman deceased.
Director Martino concluded that the subject official and other officers involved did not transgress the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law, leaving no basis for criminal charges in this case. 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