Thunder Bay – NEWS – Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 55-year-old man on November 5, 2020. The SIU was made aware of the man’s death on November 9, 2020.
Preliminary information suggests the following:
- At approximately 4 p.m., on November 4, 2020, officers with the Thunder Bay Police Service attended a Starbucks on Fort William Road after receiving a call for assistance. It was reported that two individuals had been trespassing.
- An officer placed one of the individuals – a 55-year-old man – in a cruiser and proceeded to drive him home. Based on the man not looking well, the officer then proceeded to take the man to the hospital.
The following day, while in hospital, the man died.
Two investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the case. The post-mortem took place yesterday morning in Toronto. At this time, one subject officer and three witness officers have been designated.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. The Unit is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to this incident to upload that video through the SIU website.
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or an allegation 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 investigations to the Attorney General.
