News Release
SIU Terminates Mount Brydges Investigation
Case Number: 19-OCI-003
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into an incident that occurred earlier this month in Mount Brydges.
On the morning of January 2, 2019, a 16-year-old male was operating a vehicle in Mount Brydges. When he saw a Strathroy-Caradoc Police Service cruiser, he made a U-turn and left the area. The police cruiser did not follow. A short time later, the young man lost control of the vehicle and went into a ditch. He fled the scene on foot, but was later located by police. He was arrested and transported to hospital for treatment.
Director Loparco said, “The young person’s injuries resulted from his own actions and had nothing to do with the conduct of any police officer. As such, 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