Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the circumstances around the death of an 18-month-old child in Stratford.
Stratford Police say officers were called out on Tuesday about the possible sudden death of the infant.
Officers immediately attempted life saving measures, according to SPS, but they weren’t able to revive the child.
SPS has requested support from the Waterloo Regional Police Service in the investigation, providing their technical, specialized expertise.
The SIU were also notified and are now leading the case.
The agency says their preliminary information suggests first responders were called to a home around 4:30 Tuesday morning about a child in medical distress.
They say CPR was performed and the child was transported to the hospital where they were pronounced dead around 6:21 a.m.
The SIU says their investigation is focused on the conduct of the police in the weeks prior to the date of the child’s death and whether an appropriate level of care was exercised with respect to the child’s wellbeing.
One subject official, four witness officials and one service employee witness have been designated, according to the SIU.
They say the post-mortem took place on Thursday.
The SIU is urging anyone who may have information about this investigation to contact them and they’re also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to the investigation to upload that video through the SIU website.
The SIU is a civilian agency in Ontario responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault.
