News Release

SIU Investigating Deaths in Vineland

Case Number: 15-OCD-142   

Mississauga (6 July, 2015) --- Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two individuals last night in Vineland.

Preliminary information indicates the following:

  • At approximately 8:35 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2015, officers with the Niagara Regional Police Service attended a residence on Epp Street after receiving a call;
  • A short time after two officers entered the residence, there was a house fire;
  • Two officers were injured as a result, and were transported to hospital for treatment of injuries;
  • Firefighters entered the residence, and the bodies of a 73-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man were removed from the home.

Three investigators and two forensic investigators from the SIU have been assigned to investigate this incident. A postmortem is scheduled for tomorrow morning in Hamilton.

Anyone who may have information regarding this case is asked to contact the Unit at 1-800-787-8529 Ext. 1873.

If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.php

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