London police cleared by SIU in use of naloxone on man later pronounced dead

An investigation by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into the death last month of a 21-year-old London man has been terminated, the agency announced Wednesday.

The investigation was prompted by the use of naloxone on a man in medical distress by a London police officer.

London police were called to a home in the area of Huron and Adelaide streets around 7:40 p.m. on Aug. 22 after a woman reported her boyfriend was in medical distress.

According to the SIU, an officer was the first to arrive at the scene, with other officers, paramedics, and firefighters arriving within minutes.

The woman told the officer she had given her boyfriend two doses of naloxone. With the consent of paramedics, the officer administered another dose, the SIU said.

Emergency crews managed to regain a pulse from the man, who was taken to hospital and put in intensive care.

“At 11:43 a.m. on August 25, 2018, the man was declared brain dead,” the SIU said. “A post-mortem was conducted three days later.”

In a statement, SIU director Tony Loparco said the agency found the actions of London police on Aug. 22 did not contribute “in any way” to the man’s death days later in hospital.

Two investigators and two forensic investigators were assigned to the incident.