Suspect dead, police officer hospitalized after plunging into Niagara Falls gorge

Vidya Kauri Jul 24, 2012 7:49 PM ET | Last Updated: Jul 25, 2012 2:35 AM ET

A man is dead and a police officer has suffered a broken leg after a chase resulted in both the man and the officer falling over a retaining wall into the Niagara Gorge.

Ontarios Special Investigations Unit released a statement saying a Niagara Regional Police Officer was chasing a man on River Rd. between Eastwood St. and Otter St. shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

A short time later, they both went over the gorge wall and into the Niagara gorge, said the statement.

Witnesses claim police were chasing a man when he jumped over a retaining wall.

Ermanno Ceniccola / Courtesy MediaVice.com

A police officer is transported from the scene Tuesday evening.

The SIU is a provincial arms-length agency that investigates incidents of death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault involving police. They have assigned seven investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of the incident.

The male police officer was rescued in a bucket that was lowered into the gorge he is said to be in serious condition. The SIU statement said the officer sustained a broken femur.

The officer was transported by air ambulance to Hamilton General Hospital, the nearest trauma centre. Jennifer Tracey, spokeswoman for ORNGE, said he was first taken by land ambulance to a local park nearby where the air ambulance had landed. She said the ride to the hospital is about 10 to 15 minutes. The helicopter left the scene at about 7:50 p.m.

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Suspect dead, police officer hospitalized after plunging into Niagara Falls gorge