News Release
SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Logan Township
Case Number: 07-PCD-162
Other News Releases Related to Case 07-PCD-162
The SIU investigation determined that on August 14, 2007, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a caller reported a domestic dispute to the OPP. The caller said that there was a man and possibly two women inside a home on 49th Line in Logan Township and that one of the women had been shot.
Three OPP officers were driving up to the home when they heard what sounded like gunfire. The officers withdrew and asked for the OPP's Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU). ERT and TRU officers arrived and started to secure a perimeter around the home. At approximately 2:20 a.m., ERT officers were searching the exterior of the home and surrounding area when they came across a man suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the head and a shotgun on his chest.
His common-law spouse was found in a car outside of the home with no serious injuries.
Director Cornish concluded, "The evidence gathered in the course of this investigation clearly indicates that this man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and that the police played no role in the tragic end of this man's life."
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