News Release
SIU Terminates Death Investigation in Grey Highlands
Case Number: 18-POD-329
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-POD-329
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the death of a man in Grey Highlands last month.
At approximately 7:30p.m. on November 9, 2018, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers responded to a hunting camp near Irish Lake for a report of a domestic dispute. The officers left after speaking with a 52-year-old man, who was one of the parties involved in the dispute. Early the following morning, OPP officers were once again called to the camp, this time for a report of a deceased man. Based on the information received, the 52-year-old man was located in his truck with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Director Loparco said, “There is nothing to suggest that the police were directly or indirectly responsible or involved in the man’s death. As such, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”
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