News Release
SIU Concludes Death Investigation in Renfrew
Case Number: 07-PCD-110
Other News Releases Related to Case 07-PCD-110
On June 10, 2007, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) from the Renfrew detachment responded to a domestic complaint at a home on South McNaughton Road. The officers arrived and saw a woman run out of the house toward the police cruiser. Witnesses heard what they believed to be two shots from inside the home.
Officers transported the woman to a safe location and learned that her estranged husband had barricaded himself inside the home with a rifle and had threatened to harm himself. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., OPP Tactical Response Unit (TRU) officers arrived and secured a perimeter around the home. At approximately 12:40 p.m., officers entered the home and found the man suffering from what appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound. A long gun was found beside the man. There was one spent round found in the chamber of the gun, indicating that only one shot was fired.
A post mortem examination the following day concluded the man died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Upon a review of the available evidence, Director Cornish concluded that there was clear and compelling evidence that the deceased took his own life. The Director said, "There is no indication that any act or omission on the part of the police officers caused or contributed to this man's death."
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