Cornwall Ontario & Area Police Blotter for Thursday August 1, 2013 OPP SIU Ribfest Booze Breach

Cornwall PoliceDOMESTIC BREACHES

 

Cornwall, ON – A 34-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on the 31st of July, 2013 and charged with one count of breach of Probation for not keeping the peace and one count of breach of Recognizance for being found where alcohol is being sold. It is alleged that on the 26thof July, 2013 an off duty police officer who was aware of the man’s conditions spotted him in the beer gardens at rib fest. On the 31st of July, 2013 a police officer on community patrol noticed the man walking on Pitt Street near Tollgate Road and took him into custody then charged him accordingly for the breaches. The man was transported to police headquarters then brought to courts for a bail hearing. His name was not released as the original charges stem from a domestic incident and may identify the victim.

 

Cornwall, ON –A 51-year-old man was arrested on the 31st of July, 2013 and charged with three counts of breach of Probation. The man is bound by a Probation order with conditions of not to be around a certain 50-year-old female if he has consumed alcohol, Not to associate with her if she has consumed and to keep the peace. It is alleged that on the 31st of July, 2013 police attended a Third Street east residence in relation to a loud music complaint. In speaking with the man the officer detected an odor of alcohol from him, moments later the intoxicated female was spotted by the same officer on the porch of the same residence. The man was taken into custody and charged accordingly. He was transported to police headquarters and later released with a court date of the 19th of August, 2013. His name was not released as the original charges stem from a domestic incident and may identify the victim.

WARRANT

 

Cornwall, ON – A 43-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on the 30th of July, 2013. It is alleged that on the 30th of July, 2013 the man attended police headquarters to deal with an outstanding warrant. He was taken into custody on the strength of the warrant and later transported to courts for a bail hearing. His name was not released as the warrant stems from a domestic incident and may identify the victim.

 

 

DOMESTIC MISCHIEF, BREACHES

 

                Cornwall, ON – A 16-year-old Cornwall female was arrested on the 30th of July, 2013 for mischief and breach of a YCJA Probation order for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged that on the 30th of July, 2013 she attended her 19-year-old ex-boyfriends residence and damaged his bicycle. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. During their investigation they located the female at her residence and took her into custody and charged her accordingly. She was transported to police headquarters where she was released with a court date of the 22nd of August, 2013. Her name was not released as per provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act and that it may identify the victim.

 

THREATS

 

                Cornwall, ON -Francis Coleman, 51 of Cornwall was arrested on the 30th of July, 2013 for three counts of threats. It is alleged that on the 30th of July, 2013 the man threatened to harm several people including a 28-year-old female and her 5-year-old son along with a 30-year-old friend. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. During their investigation they located the man at his residence where they took the man into custody and charged him accordingly. He was transported to police headquarters and held for a bail hearing.

from the OPP;

DRUGS SEIZED AT TRAFFIC STOP

(South Dundas) – On July 31, 2013 at approximately 9:00pm, SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a traffic complaint on Highway 401, South Dundas Township. The involved vehicle was intercepted. The stop resulted in the seizure of a quantity of suspected cocaine and an undisclosed amount of currency from the vehicle. The male also provided officers with false identification.

John WONG (34) of Brossard Qc was arrested and is charged with;

– Possession of a Controlled Substance
– Personation with Intent
– Obstruct Peace Officer
– Possession of Property Obtained by Crime

He was held in custody pending a court appearance (bail) in Cornwall on August 01, 2013.

 

MISCHIEF

(North Glengarry) – Overnight (30-31Jul13) a side mirror was damaged on a pick-up truck while parked at a Used Car Dealership on Main Street North, Village of Maxville, North Glengarry Township.

An investigation continues.

 

REMINDER – SCAMS!

(SD&G) – In the past week, several complaints were received by SD&G OPP involving possible frauds/scams of different approaches. As methods to victimize the public are in abundance, SD&G OPP wish to remind residents to be cautious and not provide any personal information on impulse when faced with such situations. Taking the time to look over the contents of the information and inquire on its legitimacy can help discourage victimization. Please refer to the Canadian Anti-Fraud website at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca to stay updated on types of scams and those currently popular.

CONDITIONS BREACHED

(South Dundas) – On July 29, 2013 at approximately 11:00am, an SD&G OPP officer had the occasion to speak to a male at the Morrisburg OPP office. The officer observed the male to be in breach of a condition (non-alcohol consumption) stemming from a previous incident.

Alex MORTIMER (22) of South Dundas was arrested and is charged with;

– Fail to Comply with Undertaking

He was held in custody pending a court appearance (bail) in Cornwall.

 

DOMESTIC INCIDENT

(South Glengarry) – On July 29, 2013 at approximately 9:30pm, SD&G OPP officers began an investigation into a domestic situation at a residence on Oak Drive, South Glengarry Township. Investigation revealed that on Jul 29, 2013 a female (37) from Cornwall ON entered the residence of her ex-spouse unlawfully.

She was arrested and is charged with;

– Unlawfully in a Dwelling House

She was released to appear in Cornwall court on August 20, 2013.

 

FAMILY DISPUTE

(North Glengarry) – On July 29, 2013 at approximately 11:30pm, SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a family dispute at a residence on Kincardine Street in the Town of Alexandria, North Glengarry Township. Investigation revealed that a 15year old male youth was being aggressive and had threatened other family members while brandishing a knife. Further details revealed other incidents had occurred earlier (June 2013). No injuries resulted.

The 15year old male was arrested without incident and is charged with;

– Possession of a Weapon for Dangerous Purpose (2 counts)
– Utter Threats (2 counts)

He was released to appear in Cornwall court on August 22, 2013.

 

BREAK-IN

(North Stormont) – On July 30, 2013 between 6:00am and 3:45pm, a residence on MacDonald Grove Road, North Stormont Township was forcibly entered. Inside, a quantity of jewellery was stolen.

An investigation continues.

SIU from Toronto:

SIU Concludes Investigation into March 17, 2013 Toronto Shooting Death

Case Number: 13-TCD-069

Other News Releases Related to Case 13-TCD-069
Appeals Form

Mississauga (31 July, 2013) — The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge any officer with the Toronto Police Service with a criminal offence in relation to the death of 23-year-old Zoltan Hyacinth in March of 2013.

The SIU assigned four investigators and three forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. As part of the investigation, seven witness officers and four civilian witnesses were interviewed. All three subject officers provided their notes and statements to the SIU.

The SIU investigation found that the following events took place before and on Sunday, March 17, 2013:
• In mid-March, Mr. Hyacinth and another individual became suspects in a robbery. Officers from 31 Division also had information that Mr. Hyacinth had a gun. This information was passed on to the Guns & Gangs Task Force (GGTF) whose members began surveillance on the two individuals. Officers also learned that Mr. Hyacinth had previous weapons-related charges. On March 16, as a result of their surveillance-related activities, Mr. Hyacinth was observed in hand-to-hand drug transactions.
• On March 17, members of the GGTF had a meeting to discuss a plan to locate and arrest Mr. Hyacinth. As a result of further surveillance, Mr. Hyacinth was observed with another individual driving into a Burger King located near Wilson Avenue and Keele Street in a silver Pontiac Sunfire. A decision was made to take down the vehicle and arrest its two occupants.
• As Mr. Hyacinth drove up to the speaker box of the Burger King to place his order, unmarked vehicles from the GGTF boxed in his Sunfire from the front and back. Approximately 12 plainclothes GGTF officers approached the Sunfire to effect the arrests. Officers informed both of the car’s occupants they were police officers and that they were being arrested for robbery. Mr. Hyacinth’s passenger was quickly apprehended without incident and escorted away from the vehicle. Mr. Hyacinth refused to leave his vehicle and initially tried to place his foot on the gas pedal in an apparent attempt to push one of the police vehicles out of the way. The first subject officer began pulling Mr. Hyacinth’s legs out of the Sunfire while another officer was unbuckling Mr. Hyacinth’s seatbelt. The subject officer then started pulling Mr. Hyacinth’s left arm in an attempt to extricate him from the car. The struggle was intense enough that a nearby CCTV security video recording depicted the Sunfire shaking up and down for a protracted period. Eventually, this subject officer managed to pull Mr. Hyacinth out of the Sunfire. In the process of removing him, a second subject officer, who was near the driver’s door said he yelled out, “he’s got a gun.” By this point, the first subject officer was holding Mr. Hyacinth in a bear hug such that his back was pressed against the officer’s chest area. The officer dropped Mr. Hyacinth to his knees by using his body weight and then forced him to the ground. The officer momentarily released Mr. Hyacinth’s right hand because the hood of his winter coat was blocking his vision. He said he heard at least two shots fired in rapid succession, and then felt Mr. Hyacinth’s body go limp. The officer stood up and ordered other officers to handcuff Mr. Hyacinth. The officer can be seen on the security video being checked by another officer for possible firearm injuries.
• As Mr. Hyacinth was being handcuffed, it was obvious that he had sustained at least one firearm wound to his head. A .40 calibre Ruger semi-automatic pistol was found near Mr. Hyacinth’s body. Two officers commenced CPR while paramedics were called to the scene. He was transported to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where he was declared deceased.

A subsequent post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be a contact gunshot wound to the head. The entrance wound was to the right side of the head above and behind the right ear. The bullet projectile exited the left side of the head above the left ear.

The SIU seized the Ruger pistol as well as cartridge cases and fired bullet and bullet fragments from the scene. The Ruger had the capacity to hold 11 bullets and had eight remaining in its clip. Three fired .40 calibre cartridge cases were found in the vicinity of the rear side driver’s door of the Sunfire. Subsequent testing by a firearms examiner from the Centre of Forensic Sciences determined that the seized Ruger fired those three cartridge cases. There was also a bullet projectile found lodged in the rear tire tread of the front driver’s tire. This projectile was determined to have been fired from the same Ruger pistol. The officers involved in this incident were armed with Glock handguns.

Director Scott said, “When one pieces together the autopsy findings, the scene photographs, the Burger King CCTV security videotape, the Ruger pistol and bullet parts, along with the involved officers’ statements, the most likely scenario of events after Mr. Hyacinth was removed from his vehicle is the following.  As he was taken to the ground by one of the subject officers near the rear driver’s side door of the Pontiac Sunfire, Mr. Hyacinth brought a Ruger pistol – which had been secreted on his person – with his right hand up to the area of his head. At this point, Mr. Hyacinth’s body was either flat or almost flat on the ground and perpendicular to his car with his head very close to the rear driver’s door. The officer had his body weight on top of him. Mr. Hyacinth discharged the gun three times in quick succession as it was pointed in a northerly direction almost parallel to the ground, presumably in an attempt to shoot one or more officers involved in his arrest. Instead of effecting his purpose, he shot himself in the head, causing his own demise.”

Director Scott continued, “The involved officers had the lawful authority to arrest Mr. Hyacinth – they had credible information that he was involved in a recent robbery and drug transactions, and may have been in possession of a gun. When Mr. Hyacinth refused to leave his vehicle, they had the lawful authority to use reasonable force to forcibly remove him from the vehicle. Given my conclusion that Mr. Hyacinth shot himself in the head with his own weapon after he was wrestled to the ground, I am of the view that the police actions in this incident cannot attract any criminal liability – Mr. Hyacinth was the inadvertent author of his own misfortune.”

The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations 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 any investigations to the Attorney General.

Milena Cardinal

 

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