News Release
SIU Terminates Investigation in Alliston
Case Number: 07-PCD-007
The SIU was notified that on January 4, 2007, at about 7:00 a.m., three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers from the Nottawasaga detachment assisted an intoxicated man who was found walking in Alliston. The officers transported the man home and released him to his family's care. The man walked into his home with no apparent signs of injury and immediately went to bed.
At about 9:30 a.m., paramedics attended the man's home. They found the man was unresponsive and without any vital signs. He was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Two SIU investigators were assigned to probe the circumstances surrounding the man's death to determine the nature and extent of police involvement. As part of the investigation, investigators attended the post mortem examination on January 5, 2007. Based on all the evidence gathered, including the fact that the man displayed no signs of physical trauma, SIU investigators determined that there was no reason to believe that any of the involved OPP officers caused or contributed to this man's death. SIU Director James Cornish stated, "Given that there is nothing further to investigate, the SIU investigation into this man's death has been terminated."
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