News Release

SIU Terminates London Investigation after Man Declines to Participate

Case Number: 18-OVI-137   

Mississauga, ON (1 June, 2018) ---
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an interaction that occurred last month between London Police Service (LPS) officers and a 26-year-old man. 

In the evening hours of May 3, 2018, LPS officers were surveilling a residence on Wharncliffe Road South for the purpose of arresting a man on an outstanding warrant. When the man became aware of the officers’ presence, he ran across Wharncliffe Road South. While in the roadway, he was struck by a vehicle begin driven by a civilian. The man continued running, but was arrested shortly thereafter.

The man refused to be interviewed by the SIU and he did not give SIU investigators access to his medical record related to the incident. Investigators attempted to locate the man days later in the event he had changed his mind about participating, but it was to no avail.
 
Director Loparco said, “The man declined to provide the SIU with a statement or otherwise participate in an SIU investigation. Accordingly I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”

The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as 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

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