Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is looking into the death of a 29-year-old Wallaceburg man after a body was recovered from the Sydenham River on Wednesday.
Members of the Chatham-Kent Police Service's Marine Unit and the Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Service's Dive Team found the man's body around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday after he reportedly jumped into the river during a police investigation Tuesday night.
Chatham-Kent police said the man and a woman both allegedly fled from officers and jumped into the river while police were following up on a report of two suspicious people in the area of Wallace Street and McDougal Street shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said the woman was able to get to safety but the man disappeared.
A report released by the SIU Wednesday evening states that officers and local residents went into the water to try and locate the man but were unsuccessful.
Two SIU investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to look into the circumstances of the Wallaceburg man's death. A post-mortem is scheduled for Thursday in London.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the SIU's lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529. Anyone who may have video evidence related to case is also asked to upload it through the SIU website.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
