SIU Discontinues Elk Lake Investigation into Man’s Death
Case Number:
26-PCD-137
Mississauga, ON (1 June, 2026) ---
The Deputy Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Stacey O’Brien, has terminated an investigation into the death of a 30-year-old man in March following his arrest in Elk Lake.
In the afternoon of March 23, 2026, OPP officers were dispatched to a convenience store in Elk Lake, following several 911 calls reporting a male individual acting in an unusual and agitated manner and possibly intoxicated. Upon their arrival at the store, officers located the man lying face down on the floor in one of the aisles, with two civilians on top of him in an effort to secure the man on the ground. The man was arrested and taken out of the building to get fresh air. While awaiting the arrival of EMS, the man began to show signs of medical distress. One officer administered naloxone, to which the man appeared to respond. When the man again went into medical distress, another officer initiated CPR. Upon arrival, EMS assumed medical care and transported the man to hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Based on the SIU’s preliminary inquiries, including a review of video footage that captured the incident in parts, Deputy Director O’Brien was satisfied the investigation should be discontinued. Officers provided emergency aid to the man, consistent with their duties and training. He was already in significant medical distress at the time. Nothing in the video evidence, witness narrative, or preliminary autopsy report established or suggested that the conduct of the police was negligent or in any way causally connected to the outcome. The available evidence was consistent with a medical crisis that may be related to the effects of substance use; however, the cause of death remains pending further testing. There were no reasonable grounds to believe that the actions of the police officers constituted a criminal offence or could otherwise attract criminal liability in connection with the unfortunate death of the man. The file has been closed.
If you or someone you know has been negatively affected by an incident under SIU investigation and would like support, the Affected Persons Program is here to help. You can reach us at 1-877-641-1897. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7, every day of the year.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (municipal, regional and provincial police officers, police officers with the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, 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
