A cause of death has been determined in a workplace death this past May that took the life of a Sudbury teenager.
Roch (Rocco) Renaud, 19, passed away on May 23 while at work. Renaud was found unresponsive at a residence in Lively at around 8 p.m. that day, Greater Sudbury Police report.
He was transported to hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
On Aug. 18, the results of a postmortem examination were released by the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS), which determined Renaud’s cause of death to be Acute Carbon Monoxide Intoxication (carbon monoxide poisoning).
A Ministry of Labour investigation was launched into the death 10 days after the incident.
"The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development was notified of a workplace fatality that occurred in Lively, Ontario,” the email from the ministry reads at the time. “It was reported that a worker was fatally injured while performing maintenance work. The ministry extends its sincere condolences to the family and colleagues of the worker. Following the notification, ministry inspectors attended the scene to investigate."
That investigation continues. An Ontario Provincial Police investigation into the incident also continues, after Greater Sudbury Police requested the OPP take over.
On June 30, GSPS issued a news release saying, based on a chief’s complaint, an investigation has been launched into the actions of two off-duty GSPS officers on May 23, the day 19-year-old Renaud died at his workplace in Lively.
A “chief’s complaint” is an internal misconduct investigation initiated by the head of a police service, in this instance by Chief Sara Cunningham.
The reason cited by GSPS for transferring the investigation to the OPP is that “it was determined that there is an institutional conflict of interest in accordance with Ontario Regulation 401/23 of the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA),” said the release.
No specific information was provided by GSPS as to the nature of the actions of its two officers that led to their suspension and the transferring of the investigation to the OPP. The names of the suspect officers have not been released.
"As the allegations have not yet been substantiated, their names will not be released at this time,” a GSPS news release states. “Both officers have been suspended with pay in accordance with section 209(1) of the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA).
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) assumed responsibility for the investigation on June 18 at the request of GSPS.
That investigation remains ongoing under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the OFPS.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.