NEWS RELEASE
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
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The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has terminated an investigation into the death of a man in Grey Highlands last month.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2018, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers responded to a hunting camp near Irish Lake for a report of a domestic dispute. The officers left after speaking with a 52-year-old man, who was one of the parties involved in the dispute.
Early the following morning, OPP officers were once again called to the camp, this time for a report of a deceased man. Based on the information received, the 52-year-old man was located in his truck with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Director Loparco said, “There is nothing to suggest that the police were directly or indirectly responsible or involved in the man’s death. As such, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid
- report the results of any investigations to the Attorney General.
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