News Release

SIU Terminates Investigation in Deep River

Case Number: 05-PFI-119   

TORONTO (15 August, 2005) --- On August 14, 2005, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was notified by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) of an incident that occurred earlier that day, which resulted in an injury to a 25-year-old man.

Seven SIU investigators were dispatched to the scene in Deep River to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man's injury. Preliminary information from the investigation indicates that at approximately 9:30 a.m., OPP officers responded to a call of a barricaded man at a home on Pinewood Place. During the next three hours, officers contained the area as the armed man walked in and out of the home. At about 12:30 p.m., the man learned out of a window holding a rifle. An officer discharged his firearm and shot at the window.

The injured man was taken to hospital where he was treated for a laceration to his arm. SIU investigators interviewed the treating physician and the injured man and confirmed the injury was not a gunshot wound but a superficial laceration as a result of broken glass from the window.

Based on the evidence gathered to date, the Director of the SIU, James Cornish, has decided to terminate the investigation because of the absence of serious injury.

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
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES