Aditya Vivaan (3 Months), Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan (55), Manivannan Srinivasapillai (60) Identified as Victims Killed in Durham Police Chase

Gokulnath Manivannan (33) and Ashwitha Jawahar (27), the parents of an infant and two grandparents killed in a crash during a high speed, wrong-way police pursuit have identified their loved ones publicly in a statement released by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

Their statement names, “Our 3-month-old bundle of joy Aditya Vivaan, our respected father Mr. Manivannan Srinivasapillai and our most god-fearing mother Mrs. Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan.”

They express the family’s grief:

“Our family is reeling from a devastating tragedy following a wrong-way crash involving a police chase,” and says they are “mourning the loss of three of the most precious people in our lives. We are at a complete loss of words to describe the agony and vacuum in our hearts knowing we can never hold our child Aditya Vivaan, who gave us so many precious memories in such a short time, in our hands again.”

The family statement says that the grandparents were visiting from Chennai, India, “with the sole purpose of spending time with their grandson.” They had arrived in Canada only two days before the deadly police chase and crash.

Three-Month-Old, Grandparents Visiting from India, Identified as Victims Killed in Durham Police Chase

Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has released more information about the police chase that ended in a crash that killed four people on April 29, 2024, in Whitby. They report that a three-month-old baby was killed along with his grandparents, a 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, both visiting from India.

The baby’s parents, a 33-year-old father and 27-year-old mother, were in the same vehicle and were both taken to hospital for treatment. The mother was treated for serious injuries. The parents and baby were identified as residents of Ajax, Ontario, outside Toronto.

The 21-year-old driver of the pursued vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. A 38-year-old male passenger was transported to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

A police radio recording, broadcasting conversations between officers and a dispatcher on an Ontario Provincial Police Highway Safety Division communication channel, reportedly includes a caution from an officer that someone was going to get hurt during the chase: “Comms center if we could pass on, just want to make sure the Durham sergeant’s aware that they’re driving the opposite direction. Someone is going to get hurt.”

CTV News safety analyst and former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis has come out to say it is “hard to understand the actions of police, especially given that it stemmed from a minor robbery.” In his view, “It’s pretty tough ever to justify continuing to chase like that, in that fashion, in any circumstances.”

According to Lewis, “The sergeant or higher, the people on the (communications) centre, the senior officers on the road – they can call it off at any time, and the constables have to stop immediately. So if, in fact, that didn’t happen, the big question is, why wasn’t it called off? If it did happen, and why did it continue?”

The SIU has designated two officers as subject officers being investigated and four designated as witness officers. It has assigned seven investigators, one forensic investigator, and one collision reconstructionist to the case.

Person Dies in Fall During Police Action in Quebec City (April 27, 2024)

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) is investigating the circumstances of a death during an intervention involving the Quebec City Police Department on April 27, 2024. They report that at approximately 5:57 PM, a call was made to 911 for a “disorganized person” on a roof. Police arrived on the scene around 6:07 PM and reportedly to communicate. Support was called for from firefighters and ambulance workers and a net operation was reportedly launched around 7:15 PM. At around 8:00 PM, the person allegedly fell from the roof. They were transported to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

There is no report that any mental health supports were called to the scene or had any interaction with the person. Policing is not care and should not be the response to mental health crises.

Man Dies in Police Foot and Helicopter Chase Over Bike Light in Edmonton (April 9, 2024)

A man drowned in the North Saskatchewan River during a foot and helicopter pursuit by Edmonton Police Service (EPS) officers on April 9, 2024. It is reported that police tried to stop the man at around 2:17 AM for riding a bike “without proper lighting equipment” in the area of 93 Street and 82 Avenue. The man rode onto a pathway with the officers following on foot and by helicopter. The police Air-1 helicopter located the man and the pursuing officers, maintaining visual contact as he was seen running onto the icy river before slipping into the open water.

Community critics have questioned police deployment of a helicopter and pursuing a chase of someone over a bicycle light. They have also pointed to the traumatic impacts of policing, especially for people with mental health issues or histories of criminalization.

Particularly, marginalized people are disproportionately targeted and ticketed for bicycle-related infractions such as riding on the sidewalk or cycling without a bell or lights. Indigenous people especially are disproportionately impacted by policing of cycling.

Person Killed in SQ Police Pursuit in Saint-Cyprien (Rivière-du-Loup) (April 22, 2024)

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) is investigating a person’s death during a police pursuit by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on April 22, 2024. They report that around 4:55 PM, a Sûreté du Québec police officer allegedly located the vehicle of a wanted person, turned on his flashing lights and attempted to intercept the vehicle. Around 4:56 PM, the pursued vehicle collided with another vehicle. The driver of the pursued vehicle was reportedly seriously injured and the driver of the second vehicle was reported dead at the scene.

The BEI has assigned five investigators to examine the case. The BEI is not an independent oversight agency and relies on other police forces for investigations, in this case the Quebec City Police Department.

Four Killed in Durham Police Pursuit, Including Infant (April 29, 2024)

Four people, including an infant and its two grandparents (aged 60 and 55), were killed in a fiery crash during a police pursuit involving multiple police vehicles on Highway 401 in Whitby, Ontario, on April 29, 2024. The person being chased was also killed. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) reports that the crash involved at least six vehicles. All four people were pronounced dead at the and another person was taken to hospital with what are reported as significant injuries.

The Durham Regional Police Service says officers were responding to a robbery call in Clarington, a town east of Toronto, when they began pursuing a vehicle driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes on Highway 401. The pursuit reportedly began at an LCBO location, when an off-duty officer reported an attempted theft to Durham Regional Police at around 7:50 PM.

A video circulating on social media shows a van speeding through oncoming traffic with Durham police vehicles close behind. The video then cuts to a fiery crash at the side of the highway. The SIU reports that the collision occurred at around 8:10 PM.

The SIU has assigned five investigators to the case, as well as one forensic specialist and one collision reconstructionist. They are still determining how many Durham police will be designated as subject and witness officers. They say they will also be determining whether it was appropriate for Durham police to pursue the cargo van as it drove the wrong way on the province’s busiest highway.

Rather than raising concerns about police actions and issues of accountability, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, spoke on the issue to tell reporters his government is working to give police services even more resources and equipment, including the purchase of four new police helicopters.

Man Dies in Sûreté du Québec Police Action in Parent (April 4, 2024)

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) is investigating the death of a man during an intervention involving the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on April 4, 2024. They report that around 1:31 PM, a call was made to the Sûreté du Québec regarding a person allegedly wanted by police. Around 7:10 PM, police reportedly attempted to arrest the person who was inside a tent, using pepper spray to force him out of the tent. At some point they heard a gunshot coming from the tent and withdrew. Officers from the Sûreté du Québec tactical intervention group arrived on the scene around 4:08 AM on April 5 and confirmed the person’s death. The BEI has assigned four investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the police intervention and death.

Two Men Killed in Montreal Police Pursuit (March 28, 2024)

Quebec’s police oversight agency, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), is investigating after two men in their twenties were killed in what is reported as a police pursuit in the Rosemont neighborhood of Montreal on March 28, 2024.

According to the BEI, a Service de police de la ville de Montréal (SPVM) police officer was responding to a 911 call reporting gunshots and dangerous driving shortly after 5:30 AM. While driving with lights flashing the officer reportedly spotted a vehicle that was driving dangerously and appeared to match the description of the vehicle in the 911 call. He pursued it. The BEI say that about one minute later, the driver of that vehicle crashed into a tree. One person was declared dead at the scene and the other died later in hospital.

The BEI has assigned five investigators to examine the case. The BEI is not an independent oversight agency and relies on other police forces for their investigations. In this case they will be assisted by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), the provincial police. Showing the conflict of interest this involves, the SQ is simultaneously carrying out the criminal investigation into the alleged gunshots and dangerous driving that occurred before the police intervention.

Dene Man, Darryl Sabourin (45), Killed in “Altercation” with Security Officers at Edmonton Hospital (March 6, 2024)

Darryl Sabourin, a 45-year-old Dene father of four from Hay River, NWT was killed after what is described as “an altercation” with security officers at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton on March 6, 2024. It is reported that Mr. Sabourin checked himself into the hospital for detox treatment for alcohol addiction on March 4.

His sister-in-law Shauna Gordon claims that he was restrained by “peace officers” and believes that they used excessive force on him. Gordon says that staff told her Mr. Sabourin had been restrained by peace officers after growing agitated in the facility’s detox area early that morning. She reports that he was restrained and eventually became unresponsive. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Gordon told media that when she saw Sabourin’s body, his face was covered in bruises, and a tube filled with blood was in his throat.

Because this death involved private security, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) are the ones investigating. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASRIT), which covers formal police forces had not been informed of the case prior to media inquiries.

Mr. Sabourin was father to four sons, aged 11 to 19. Shauna Gordon is caring for them and tells media they are stunned by his loss. In her words, “They are extremely angry. They’re unable to breathe, just crying and crying in my house. It’s really devastating.”

The family has set up a fundraiser to cover funeral costs and arrangements.

Kassandra Gartner (45) Killed in Police Pursuit in Edmonton (Feb. 25, 2024)

Kassandra Gartner, a 45-year-old woman who was a mother of three daughters, was struck and killed during a police pursuit after running over a police spike belt laid to stop the vehicle that hit her and exiting her vehicle to check the damage. It has been reported that Gartner, who was from Fort Saskatchewan, was the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank executive director. The fatal collision occurred near 50 Street and 22 Avenue SW in Edmonton, Alberta, around 10 PM on February 25, 2024.

RCMP initiated the deadly pursuit of a U-Haul in Beaumont, outside Edmonton, at around 9 PM, because, they say, they believed the driver was “involved with stealing packages off doorsteps.” They later gained assistance from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Air-1 helicopter to help track the vehicle. Multiple surrounding RCMP detachments, including Leduc and Strathcona, were also involved. EPS suggest they were aware that RCMP had laid a spike belt within Edmonton city limits.

The victim had run over a police spike belt with her car and was struck by the fleeing U-Haul after she had exited her vehicle apparently to check the damage from the spike belt. In total three uninvolved vehicles reportedly ran over the spike belt. A man from another vehicle suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The U-Haul crashed after striking the victim.

It is also reported that a witness saw the person driving the U-Haul abandon it and drive off in another vehicle, that had a child inside, at the crash site. Police report that the child was found unharmed near 66 Street and 25 Avenue 11 minutes later and reunited with his family.

In a statement to media, Amanda Bell, president of the Fort Saskatchewan Food Gatherers Society remembered her colleague,

“She was the heart and soul of our mission and the driving force for service to our community. Her unwavering dedication and compassion have left a mark not only on our clients and volunteers but on the entire community. Kass’s spirit and commitment to service will continue to inspire us every day. As we face the days ahead without Kassandra, the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank is committed to continuing the vital work she so passionately led.”