Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating the death of a 40-year-old man in a Lakefield apartment after Peterborough police responded to a report about a person in distress early Tuesday morning (December 26).
At around 1:30 a.m., a woman contacted the Peterborough Police Service to report her son was in distress and was at an apartment on Queen Street in Lakefield.
Upon arriving at the Queen Street location, an officer saw the man holding a baseball bat outside of the apartment. The man struck the officer with the bat and re-entered the apartment. After additional officers arrived at the scene, unsuccessful attempts were made to communicate with the man in the apartment.
Officers decided to break down the apartment door, and found the man in the kitchen in medical distress. Although first aid was provided to the man by officers and emergency medical service personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency, independent of the police, that conducts criminal investigations into circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in serious injury, death, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU has assigned three investigators and one forensic investigator to the case.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at siu.on.ca.
