Sault Ste. Marie Police Shoot and Kill Man (37) (May 11, 2024)

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man on the night of May 11, 2024. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) reports that at approximately 10:30 PM, Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officers were called to a Circle K store on Second Line West regarding an alleged disturbance. They encountered a 37-year-old man in the vicinity of the store and sought to transport him to another location for undisclosed reasons.

At some point an undisclosed “interaction” occurred, and one officer fired his weapon, striking the man. The victim was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The SIU has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to examine the killing.

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.

Man (23) Dies in Toronto Police Custody (May 1, 2024)

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating the death of a 23-year-old man in police custody on May 1, 2024. The man had been arrested on April 25, 2024, and had been in police custody at a Toronto Police Service (TPS) station.

According to the SIU, on April 25, Peel Regional Police (PRP) officers attended a Circle K located at 7970 Mavis Road in Brampton in response to a call for service. Officers located a person of interest and upon querying his name saw that the man was wanted by the Toronto Police Service. The man was subsequently transported to a TPS police station. At some point he was transported to hospital where he died on May 1.

The SIU has assigned one investigator and one forensic investigator to examine the death.

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 Killed in Chilliwack RCMP Arrest (April 22, 2024)

The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is investigating a man’s death while being arrested by RCMP officers in Chilliwack. According to the IIO, based on information provided by the Upper Fraser Valley RCMP, police responded to a report of a fight near March Street and Patten Avenue. They report that a man was arrested by police, then went into medical distress. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other details are available at the time.

Manitoba RCMP Shoot and Kill Man (27) in Sandy Bay First Nation (April 20, 2024)

Amaranth RCMP shot and killed a 27-year-old man in Sandy Bay First Nation on the evening of April 20, 2024. It is reported that RCMP were responding to a call by Manitoba First Nation Police Service regarding a disturbance involving a weapon at a residence in Sandy Bay First Nation around 5 PM. Police claim the man had fled by the time officers arrived, but RCMP and Manitoba First Nation Police tracked him to an open, outdoor area. A Mountie shot and killed the man.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) will be investigating.