News Release
No Charges Against Ottawa Police Officer in Death of Man
Case Number: 21-OCD-216
Other News Releases Related to Case 21-OCD-216
The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has found no reasonable grounds to believe that an Ottawa Police Service officer committed a criminal offence in the death of a 34-year-old man in Ottawa last July.
On July 13, 2021, just after midnight, the officer confronted the man as he fit the description of a suspect who had reportedly attempted to break into vehicles on Mudminnow Crescent. Satisfied there were no grounds to arrest the man, the officer, at the man’s request, accompanied the man to the intersection of Tenth Line Road and Innes Road. Later that morning, the man was found dead in the area of a bus stop near the intersection.
The cause of the man’s death remains unclear at this time.
Director Martino said there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject official conducted himself unlawfully throughout his engagement with the man. Accordingly, the file has been closed.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision): https://siu.on.ca/en/directors_report_details.php?drid=1642
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
Lisez ce communiqué en français.
Kristy Denette, siu.media@ontario.ca
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES