Coroner's inquest into death of Île Bizard man during police intervention begins
CBC
A coroner's inquest into the death of Koray Celik, a young man who died during a police intervention, began at the Montreal courthouse today.
Celik, 28, died after police were called to the family's home in Île Bizard in 2017. His parents, who called 911 and witnessed the event, have maintained that officers used excessive force.
The Celiks were subpoenaed to appear but will not testify. Instead, deputy chief coroner Luc Malouin said that their written accounts of the event will be submitted to the inquiry.
Malouin said that considering what the family has been through over the past five years, this is the "wisest and most humane" way to proceed "under the circumstances."
"I don't want to make the parents relive this moment," said Malouin. "We have enough declarations from them ... the decision to not go further with the parents is strictly a humane one."
In previous interviews with CBC News, Cesur Celik and his wife, June, said they called police because Koray was intoxicated and they were worried he might want to drive.
When officers arrived, they say they watched as their son was kicked, choked and beaten with batons until his breathing stopped.
Quebec's police watchdog (known under its French acronym BEI) concluded, after an investigation, that officers used reasonable force and that Koray's death was attributable to cardio-respiratory arrest caused by intoxication.
However, a Quebec civil court judge later found the BEI was neither impartial nor transparent in the case. The Celik family was awarded $30,000 in damages.
In 2020, the family filed a separate $558,000 lawsuit against the city of Montreal and Urgences-Santé.
The inquiry is scheduled to continue through to early December.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.