News Release

News Release

SIU Investigates Death in Windsor

Case Number: 12-OCD-125   

Mississauga (3 May, 2012) --- Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the custody death of a 22-year-old Windsor man this morning. 

The Windsor Police Service (WPS) contacted the SIU and reported the following:
• At approximately 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, 2012, WPS received a call regarding a man that was acting strangely in the area of Jacob Drive;
• An officer attended the area and found the man.  As the man was having difficulty breathing, the officer placed him in a recovery position;
• Another officer arrived to assist, but soon after the man went vital signs absent;
• Paramedics took him to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The SIU has assigned two investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. 

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed this incident is asked to contact the lead investigator at 416-622-2290 or 1-800-787-8529 extension 2290.

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