SIU investigating after man falls to his death from Etobicoke balcony in the presence of Toronto police

Ontario's police watchdog lays charges against a Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officer for an incident which occurred last year. (File photo)

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has invoked its mandate after a man fell from the balcony of an apartment in central Etobicoke while in the presence of Toronto police and died.

The incident happened on July 14 at 5005 Dundas St. W. at Mabelle Avenue, between Kipling and Islington avenues.

The SIU said that according to preliminary information, Toronto police were dispatched to that apartment building at about 11:45 a.m. There, officers attended a 14th-floor unit and spoke with a 43-year-old man through the door. The man refused to open the door, the civilian agency said in a news release.

“A short time later, the man fell from the balcony to the ground below. He was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the SIU said.

An investigation is now underway to understand the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. Three investigators along with two forensic investigators have been assigned to the case.

The SIU, which investigates when police are involved in an incident that results in death, serious injury, sexual assault, and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person, is asking 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: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.