A ruling from the province's Special Investigations Unit to exonerate a Peel Regional police officer is being welcomed by Windsor's police chief.
On April 6, the SIU was called in to investigate circumstances around the death of a 45-year-old drug overdose victim in Mississauga. An officer started CPR and then administered Naloxone in an effort to revive the man who was later pronounced dead at the scene. The SIU terminated its investigation, ruling that Naloxone did not contribute to the man's death.
Windsor Police Chief Al Frederick is pleased the matter was cleared quickly. He sees it as a good indicator from the SIU. "I think that's a step in the right direction from a police officer's perspective, They want to know they are supported by their community and by the oversight bodies when they're doing their job."
Chief Frederick adds that, when an officer has done the right thing, he or she should not face scrutiny by the SIU. "We've done the training, we don't hesitate to call but I have a fundamental problem with us having to call SIU when our people are trying to save a life."
Naloxone has not been issued to officers in Windsor. The issue is still under investigation by a task force led by Deputy Police Chief Pam Mizuno..