News Release

Man in London Set Himself on Fire; No Charges Against Police in Relation to Incident

Case Number: 19-OCI-179   

Other News Releases Related to Case 19-OCI-179

SIU Investigating Incident in London after Man Sets Self on Fire

Mississauga, ON (7 April, 2020) ---
On August 2, 2019, a 49-year-old man attended an Immigration, Refugee, and Canadian Citizenship office in London. When the man told the office he was going to kill himself, the office contacted the police. London Police Service officers attempted to dissuade the man from setting himself on fire; instead, however, the man doused himself in gasoline. Officers fired their BIP launchers at the man, hoping to either distract or disable him, but the man ultimately set himself on fire. The flames were doused, and the man was taken to hospital for treatment of his burns. The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any of the officers present committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s injuries.  

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

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