News Release
SIU Charges Police Officer in Relation to Man’s Arrest in North York
Case Number: 16-TSA-271
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe a Toronto Police Service (TPS) officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the arrest of a 23-year-old man in November of 2015. Director Loparco has caused a charge to be laid against the officer.
Upon being notified of the incident on October 31, 2016, the SIU commenced an investigation and found the following:
- Shortly after midnight on November 30, 2015, TPS officers responded to the area of Maple Leaf Drive and Jane Street in North York as a result of receiving a 911 call.
- Outside of an apartment complex at 300 Queen’s Drive, police officers arrested a man who was sitting in a taxi cab.
- The man sustained serious injuries in the course of the arrest.
As a result of the SIU investigation, TPS Constable Joseph Dropuljic has been charged with one count of assault, contrary to s. 266 of the Criminal Code.
The officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 2201 Finch Avenue West in Toronto on September 7, 2017.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment pertaining to this investigation.
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