SIU called in after mental-health call at Devil’s Punchbowl

Hamilton police say the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been called in after officers responded to a mental-health call Monday afternoon.

Speaking to The Spectator, Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman said, just after 3:15 p.m., officers responded to reports of a male in crisis at the Devil's Punchbowl in upper Stoney Creek.

The SIU has since invoked their mandate, said Penman. No further details were provided about the call.

The SIU takes over any time a police officer is involved in an incident where someone dies, is seriously hurt or there is an allegation of sexual assault. The Spectator has reached out to the SIU and is awaiting a response.

The mental-health call also spurred a large response from the Hamilton Fire Department, with more than a dozen trucks descending on the conservation area for a rope rescue, according to the department's incident Twitter feed.

In an email to The Spectator, Hamilton fire assistant deputy chief Carla MacDonald said upon arrival, fire crews entered the bottom of the Punchbowl and patient care was provided by paramedics.

The scene was then handed over to police, wrote MacDonald. When reached by The Spectator, Supt. Dave Thompson of the Hamilton Paramedic Service directed all comments on call to police.

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com