News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation into Man’s Death After Confrontation with Peterborough Police at Dealership
Case Number: 23-OCD-323
Other News Releases Related to Case 23-OCD-323
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, found no reasonable grounds to believe a Peterborough Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a stand-off at a car dealership that ended in the death of a 28-year-old man in August.
On August 11, 2023, an officer attempted to stop the driver of a Jeep for a traffic infraction. The driver fled. The man crashed the Jeep into a pole and entered the service area of a Volkswagen dealership while armed with a firearm. The man was holding a staff member at gunpoint. The officer ordered the man to drop the gun and attempted to negotiate. He refused. The officer ordered the man to stop drinking from containers of automotive fluids. Minutes later, the man collapsed and dropped his firearm. Officers arrested the man and provided emergency care until paramedics arrived. The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Director Martino found no reasonable grounds to conclude that the officer conducted himself other than within the limits of the criminal law in his dealings with the man.
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