News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Man’s Death Days After Imprisonment in Burk’s Fall OPP Cell
Case Number: 19-PCD-057
Other News Releases Related to Case 19-PCD-057
SIU Investigating Burk’s Falls Incident; Man Died Later in Hospital
On March 15, 2019, a 54-year-old man passed away at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital. He had been admitted to the hospital 11 days earlier following a cocaine overdose. As the overdose reportedly occurred while the man was imprisoned in a cell of the Ontario Provincial Police Burk’s Falls Detachment, the SIU commenced an investigation. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s death.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
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