SIU investigating death of man arrested in Fort Erie
October 6, 2026 at 4:47 AM
Ontario’s police watchdog has opened an investigation into the death of a 40-year-old man four days after Niagara Regional Police arrested him at a Fort Erie home.
Officers went to the home on September 27 for a disturbance and tried to arrest the man on an outstanding warrant, according to preliminary information the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) released Monday.
Officers handcuffed the man after a struggle that followed a chase on foot.
Police took the man to hospital and, once he was released, held him in a cell in Niagara Falls.
The man tried to harm himself in the cell, and police took him back to hospital on September 28, the SIU said.
The SIU has not released the man’s name or the results of an October 3 post-mortem examination.
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates police conduct that may have led to a death or serious injury.
The unit assigned two investigators and a forensic investigator to the case and asked anyone with information to come forward.
The SIU’s director will decide whether there are reasonable grounds to believe an officer committed a criminal offence.
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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