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SIU clears Woodstock police in man's death

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has determined there are no grounds on which to charge any Woodstock police officers in the death of a wanted man who was found dead in his car.

The SIU began an investigation on August 11, 2017 after being contacted by Woodstock police. The investigation revealed that, on the afternoon of August 9, Elgin OPP contacted Woodstock police asking for help in locating and arresting the man on charges of breaching the conditions of his release. The man was accused of contacted his ex-girlfriend, which he was prohibited from doing.

Woodstock police officers went to the man's home that evening, but he was not there. He was reached on his phone and was told that he could either go to his home, where he would be arrested, or go to the police station. The man told the officers he needed 45 minutes and he would either go to the police station or call the officers back. Further investigation revealed that the man had tried to take his own life two weeks before and had been admitted to hospital. He left the hospital against medical advice on the morning of August 9, about 12 hours before he was told that he would be arrested.

At 9:31 p.m. on August 9, the man was seen on CCTV recordings parking his car in the parking lot at Woodstock General Hosptial. On three occasions over the next two days, witnesses reported seeing someone in the vehicle with his head slumped forward and assumed he was texting. However, on the morning of August 11, hospital security approached the vehicle and saw that the man was dead. The coroner arrived not long after and pronounced the man dead at 7:33 a.m.

The SIU said four prescription pill bottles for Quetiapine, Clonazepam, and Bupropion, along with a partially empty bottle of Forty Creek Whisky, and the man's cell phone were found on the front seat of the car.

"On all of this evidence, it is evident that the Complainant, due to a break down in his relationship and his poor mental state, had decided to take his own life and that he did so thereafter without any interaction with police, other than the telephone notification that he received from the SO (subject officer) on August 9, 2017, shortly after 8:04 p.m," the SIU's report said. "It is further not subject to dispute that the Complainant had already voiced his intention to take his own life to a number of persons, and by way of electronic media, prior to his ever having been informed of the new charges that he would be facing and he had already put his suicide plan into effect some two weeks prior to ever having heard from the SO. As such, there is no doubt whatsoever that the Complainant took his own life by his own hand without any involvement by police."

SIU Director Tony Loparco said there was no criminal wrongdoing on the part of the officer in telling the man that he was going to be arrested, so no charges will be laid.

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