Family of woman who died after altercation with Toronto hospital guards launches $16-million lawsuit
CTV
The sister of a 43-year-old woman who died 16 days after an altercation with security at a Toronto hospital has filed a $16 million lawsuit against University Health Network and the guards.
The sister of a 43-year-old woman who died 16 days after an altercation with security at a downtown Toronto hospital has filed a $16 million lawsuit against University Health Network and the guards allegedly involved in her death, claiming that they used “excessive” and “unreasonable” force.
Stephanie Warriner, a mother of five originally from Scarborough, died on May 27, 2020 at Toronto Western Hospital after reportedly going into medical distress and suffering a cardiac arrest following a physical interaction with hospital security.
The initial incident happened on May 11, 2020, at Toronto General Hospital (TGH). According to the victim’s sister, Denise, Warriner left her room and went to the hospital’s lobby in search of a something to eat, where she subsequently got into a confrontation with security guards for not wearing a face mask.
The lawsuit’s statement of claim states that the security guards “knew or ought to have known” that Warriner suffered from mental health issues based on their interactions with her.
The documents, however, allege that the guards approached her in an “aggressive manner, contrary to their training” and “acted with reckless disregard for the life of Stephanie.”
They further state that the guards engaged in a “verbal altercation” with Warriner initially, but ultimately pushed her against a wall and threw her to the ground before restraining her in a “prone position with weight applied to her back.”
