News Release
SIU Concludes Investigation in White River
Case Number: 06-PCD-065
Five SIU investigators were assigned to probe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Logan's death and determine what role, if any, the police played. The investigation revealed that on April 12, 2006, OPP officers stopped a vehicle with three occupants on Highway 17 near White River. While the officers were searching the car, Mr. Logan ran and disappeared from sight. OPP officers from various detachments and Units began a search for Mr. Logan.
On April 15, 2006 at 6:38 p.m., an OPP officer saw Mr. Logan walking on Winnipeg Street along the railway tracks in White River. The officer advised other officers of her location and followed Mr. Logan as he walked along the tracks. Additional officers arrived and when they neared Mr. Logan's location, he hopped onto a rail car, looked out at the officers and disappeared from their view again. Shortly afterwards, an officer heard a muffled gunshot. The officers then found Mr. Logan, bleeding from a head wound, lying on a platform at the end of a railway car.
A post mortem examination conducted on April 17, 2006 determined that Mr. Logan died from a single gunshot to his head.
Director Cornish concluded, "The evidence satisfies me that Mr. Logan fired one shot from a gun that he held to the temple of his head. Tragically, he decided to end his own life that day. The evidence satisfies me that the officers did nothing to cause Mr. Logan's death."
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