News Release

News Release

SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Scarborough

Case Number: 12-TCD-107   

Mississauga (18 May, 2012) --- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge officers with the Toronto Police Service (TPS) with any criminal offence in relation to the death of a 30-year-old woman in April of 2012.

The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident.  The SIU designated three subject officers, all of whom provided an interview to the SIU.  In addition, three witness officers were also interviewed.

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place on Wednesday, April 18, 2012:
• At 8:10p.m three subject officers were dispatched to an apartment at 10 Gordonridge Place, in Scarborough, on receipt of information that a male tenant and a “single mother” were fighting; 
• Upon arrival the officers could hear a female yelling inside a seventh-floor apartment;
• When officers went to the door of the unit, a woman answered but refused to let the officers inside;
• Fearing for the complainant’s safety and any other possible occupants, an officer kicked the door open and entered the apartment;
• The officers searched the apartment and did not locate the complainant;
• Officers noticed the balcony door was open and when they looked over the railing to the ground, the complainant was seen on the ground;
• She was taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she was pronounced deceased.

Director Scott said, “In my view, the subject officers had the lawful authority to enter the complainant’s apartment.   On the basis of the information they had received from dispatch, as well as their audio and visual observations at the door of the apartment, they could reasonably conclude that the complainant may have been in danger of imminent bodily harm if they did not immediately enter the apartment. Their concern was heightened by the dispatcher’s use of the phrase “single mother” suggesting that a child may have been present in the apartment. Tragically, the complainant fell to her death.  However, her demise in this manner is unrelated to a suggestion of criminal conduct by any subject officer.”   

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