SIU clears Barrie officer of wrongdoing following man's overdose

The province’s police watchdog has determined a Barrie officer did not commit a crime in connection to a man’s overdose last fall.

On the morning of Oct. 8, 2024, police attended a home in the area of Big Bay Point Road and Yonge Street in Barrie to arrest a man who had contacted his estranged wife the day before, which breached the terms of an undertaking.

The 61-year-old man refused to open the door and told officers to get a warrant, according to a report from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

The officers were aware the man “had expressed suicidal ideations in the past,” the SIU report stated, noting they waited at the scene while a warrant was being prepared.

The officers looked through a window and saw the man, as well as Gravol pill bottles and alcohol bottles on the floor. The man went to the door and told officers what he had consumed, and an ambulance was called, according to the SIU.

The man was taken to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, where he was intubated and taken to the intensive care unit.

SIU director Joseph Martino said he “found the evidence established that the officer exercised due care and regard for the man’s well-being.”

“The officer opened the door to check on the man and saw he was suffering the effects of an over-consumption of drugs and alcohol. Director Martino found the officer was right to check on him, as the officer knew the man had previously contemplated suicide. The officer also acted quickly to secure medical care for the man," stated the report.

The full report can be found here.