Jayson Logan shot himself in the head, SIU concludes

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT

******************* SIU concludes investigation in White River TORONTO (June 7, 2006) - The director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) James Cornish, has concluded there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers committed a criminal offence in relation to the death of Jayson Logan.

Five SIU investigators were assigned to probe the circumstances surrounding Mr. Logan’s death and determine what role, if any, the police played.

The investigation revealed that on April 12, OPP officers stopped a vehicle with three occupants on Highway 17 near White River.

While the officers were searching the car, Mr. Logan ran and disappeared from sight.

OPP officers from various detachments and units began a search for Mr. Logan.

On April 15 at 6:38 p.m., an OPP officer saw Mr. Logan walking on Winnipeg Street along the railway tracks in White River.

The officer advised other officers of her location and followed Mr. Logan as he walked along the tracks.

Additional officers arrived and when they neared Mr. Logan's location, he hopped onto a rail car, looked out at the officers and disappeared from their view again.

Shortly afterwards, an officer heard a muffled gunshot.

The officers then found Mr. Logan, bleeding from a head wound, lying on a platform at the end of a railway car.

A post mortem examination conducted on April 17 determined that Mr. Logan died from a single gunshot to his head.

Director Cornish concluded: "The evidence satisfies me that Mr. Logan fired one shot from a gun that he held to the temple of his head. Tragically, he decided to end his own life that day. The evidence satisfies me that the officers did nothing to cause Mr. Logan's death."

The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates circumstances involving police and civilians which have resulted in serious injury, sexual assault or death.

Under Part VII, Section 113, of the Police Services Act, the director of the SIU has the sole authority to decide whether or not charges are warranted based on the findings of a complete investigation.

The director's decision is reported to the attorney general. *****************