News Release
SIU Terminates Welland Death Investigation
Case Number: 18-OOD-161
Other News Releases Related to Case 18-OOD-161
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the death earlier this month of a 21-year-old woman in Welland.
At approximately 1 a.m. on June 1, 2018, the woman was involved in a single vehicle collision in the area of Rice Road and Quaker Road in Welland. The vehicle had entered a ditch and struck a pole. A civilian reported the collision to 911, and police, EMS and Fire were dispatched. When Niagara Regional Police Service officers arrived at the scene, the woman went to the ground face down. When the officers turned her over, they saw that she was bleeding from the throat as a result of the woman cutting herself. First aid was administered and the woman was transported to hospital. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Director Loparco said, “It is clear that the injuries resulting in the death of the woman were self-inflicted prior to any interaction with the police. 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