News Release
No Charges Against Niagara Parks Officer in Death of Man at Niagara Falls Waterfall
Case Number: 21-OCD-188
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OCD-188
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that a Niagara Parks Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man at the Niagara Falls waterfall last June.
In the afternoon of June 20, 2021, two Niagara Parks Police Service officers briefly spoke with the man before he quickly climbed over the fence, entered the Niagara River, and was swept down the waterfall. Six days later, his body was recovered at the Queenston docks.
Director Martino found the subject official was still metres away from the man before he fell, concluding that there was simply no opportunity to have prevented the tragedy. The file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1604
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