Second probe into Korchinski-Paquet’s death
SIU found no grounds to charge T.O. officers in high-profile incident
Ontario’s police complaints watchdog has confirmed it’s investigating the May 2020 death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, the Afro-Indigenous woman who fell from her High Park apartment in the presence of police.
Korchinski-Paquet’s family announced at a press conference Tuesday that Ontario’s Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) — a watchdog that investigates allegations of misconduct against the police — has launched a review of the incident, which left 29-year-old Korchinski-Paquet dead and set off protests locally and across Canada.
“The family is happy to know that (the OIPRD) has taken this situation seriously enough that they are reviewing both the conduct and the overall policies” of the Toronto Police Service, said Jason Bogle, the lawyer representing KorchinskiPaquet’s relatives.
Last August, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit — which conducts criminal investigations
into deaths involving police — cleared the Toronto police officers involved in the May 27 death, concluding that there was no basis to charge any of the officers present in the moments before KorchinskiPaquet fell 24 storeys to her death.
Police had been summoned to the apartment by multiple 911 calls, some mentioning knives, and the incident was treated as a “priority one” call, meaning officers were dispatched within seconds. Soon after arriving on scene, Korchinski-Paquet
plummeted to her death.
In a detailed report, SIU director Joseph Martino said the watchdog’s thorough investigation had established Korchinski-Paquet died after she lost her balance and fell while trying to scale her balcony railing to step onto her neighbour’s balcony.
“I am satisfied on the totality of the evidence that the conduct of the officers who responded to Ms. Korchinski-Paquet’s residence did not amount to a marked and substantial departure from a reasonable level of care in the circumstances,” Martino said in the report.
Korchinski-Paquet’s family filed a complaint to the OIPRD late last year requesting that the watchdog open an investigation into the incident. The complaints agency can make findings of professional misconduct under the province’s Police Services Act, which can lead to disciplinary charges against officers.
In an email Tuesday, a watchdog spokesperson confirmed the OIPRD had deemed the complaint worthy of investigation.
“We confirm, without comment, that the OIPRD is investigating conduct allegations and, as required by (Ontario’s Police Services Act), referred the allegations related to policy and service to the relevant Chief of police,” the spokesperson said.
Within days of the incident, Korchinski-Paquet’s death prompted calls for changes to how police handle calls involving people experiencing mental health challenges. Earlier this year, Toronto city council greenlit a pilot project that will see non-police first-responders sent to some mental health calls.