The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 26-year-old man on Monday, March 14, in East Hawkesbury.
Preliminary information suggests the following:
- Just after midnight on March 14, 2022, Ontario Provincial Police officers responded to a call about a man in distress at a residence in St. Eugene.
- Officers found the man in medical distress. The man was taken to hospital in an ambulance where he was pronounced deceased.
Two investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the case.
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
