NEWS RELEASE
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT
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The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man after an Ontario Provincial Police officer discharged his firearm near a residence north of Bobcaygeon this morning.
Preliminary information suggests the following:
- At approximately 10:05 a.m. on November 25, 2021, an officer with the City of Kawartha Lakes detachment went to a rural residence near Highway 49 and Highway 37 for an ongoing investigation.
- The man had a firearm. There was an interaction and the officer discharged his firearm before retreating.
- Additional officers arrived on scene and located the man. Paramedics pronounced the man deceased at the scene.
Three investigators and two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case.
One subject official and three witness officials have been designated at this time.
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
