Deadly restraint of Soleiman Faqiri by Ontario jail guards a homicide, inquest finds
CBC
Soleiman Faqiri's deadly restraint by Ontario jail guards in 2016 has been deemed a homicide — words his family has waited to hear for nearly seven years, since he died shackled, pepper sprayed and covered with a spit hood face down on a cell floor.
The verdict from the jury at the coroner's inquest carries no legal consequence, however it represents a major milestone in the family's fight for accountability in the 30-year-old's death.
"The jury has spoken and called this a homicide. There is no longer any doubt left that my brother Soleiman Faqiri was killed by correctional officers at CECC," Faqiri's older brother, Yusuf Faqiri, told CBC News.
"Although we will never get our beloved Soli back, my family is relieved that the truth has come out and that the facts has come to light for Canadians to see. The facts speak for themselves."
Faqiri suffered from schizoaffective disorder — a combination of schizophrenic and bipolar symptoms. He was taken into custody on Dec. 4, 2016 after allegedly stabbing a neighbour during what his family has said was a psychotic episode. At the time of his death, he was awaiting a medical evaluation at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.
That assessment never happened.
Less than two weeks later, Faqiri was dead. Ontario's chief forensic pathologist has said the injuries Faqiri sustained during a violent restraint by guards were "a perfect storm for his death."
Along with the homicide verdict, the jury made 57 recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths in provincial jails.
A straight-A student, Faqiri was captain of his high school football team and was especially close to his mother, his family has said. When he graduated, his future looked bright. In 2005, he enrolled at the University of Waterloo, where he was studying environmental engineering.
But his plans were cut short after a car crash when he was 19. Not long after, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
From that point on, his life took a turn. He couldn't continue with school and was picked up several times under Ontario's Mental Health Act. Over the years, his family has said it struggled to get him the help he needed and that he was on and off his medications, his condition deteriorating.
In his 11 days inside the Lindsay, Ont., jail, jurors heard his condition went from bad to worse.
Faqiri died after being repeatedly struck by guards, pepper sprayed twice, covered with a spit hood and left shackled face down on the floor of a segregation cell after being moved from a shower stall, where he allegedly squirted water and shampoo on guards.
The inquest made public for the first time video of Faqiri's final moments leading to his violent restraint — video CBC News had sought for years through access to information requests since his death.