Montreal police were ill-prepared prior to fatal altercation with Île Bizard man, coroner says
CBC
The Montreal police intervention that led to a 28-year-old man's death in the West Island was poorly planned and executed and changes to the 911 communication system should be considered, according to a coroner's report.
Koray Celik died following an altercation with four police officers at his parents' home in Île Bizard on March 6, 2017.
His parents called 911 because he had consumed alcohol along with pain pills prescribed to him and was intent on taking the wheel.
Shortly after arriving, one of the officers, Karine Bujold, followed the mother down a dimly lit hallway that led to the room where her son was — a move the coroner found questionable.
According to the report, Celik told the officer to shut off her flashlight. When the officer refused, there was a verbal altercation. As Celik approached the officer, she began to fear for her safety.
That's when she struck the 28-year-old in the left thigh with her baton, though Celik didn't budge. Three other officers stepped in and Celik was tackled to the ground.
The Celiks have maintained that officers used excessive force on their son, saying they watched as he was kicked, choked and beaten with batons until he stopped breathing.
The 28-year-old was pronounced dead in hospital about three hours later.
The final autopsy report indicates Celik died of cardio-respiratory arrest caused by intoxication.
But Dr. Yann Dazé, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Celik, told the coroner's inquiry last fall that the "cocktail" of drugs and alcohol likely would not have been lethal if Celik hadn't been in an agitated state.
In his report released Friday, coroner Luc Malouin said the officers could have benefited from information that the 911 dispatcher failed to provide them. He also said officers "missed at least two occasions" to get information that could've significantly altered the chain of events that followed.
According to the coroner, parents were calm when police showed up.
Malouin wrote that the officer, prior to approaching the 28-year-old man, could have asked questions and realized that he did not have his parents' car keys and therefore could not leave, the three were the only ones in the home and the parents were expecting paramedics to show up, not police.
Malouin said "with this information, the analysis and the urgency of the situation changes completely."
Deborah Ann Badeau listens to Country 94 radio in her small apartment. It’s been nearly a year since she moved into the transitional housing unit, after about six years living in a tent.
The walls and racks of the Accès-Loisirs Québec warehouse are overflowing with everything from hockey jerseys and skis to tennis rackets, sleeping bags, soccer cleats and even a few guitars.
Manitoba's government appears to be making progress in its commitment to expand spinal care capacity, but it's not happening fast enough for some patients, who want the province to reduce the barriers to getting out-of-province care.
Chief Cam McBride acknowledges crime has declined even as spending on police will rise to one-quarter of the city’s budget next year.
Two athletes from Prince Edward Island are one step closer to the Olympics after being selected for funding and accelerated development through the Canadian Olympic Committee’s official talent search program, RBC Training Ground.
Hamilton's new rules intended to improve apartment building conditions will roll out Jan. 1.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a yellow rainfall and wind warning for Windsor-Essex.
As Jillian Popplow packed away dozens of T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “sex, drugs & lobster rolls,” she questioned what would become of the quirky tees.
Framed art pieces practically cover the walls of Peter Marsh’s home in Scarborough
Crews had nearly finished dealing with the aftermath of Boxing Day's freezing rain when heavy rain and strong winds hit London on Sunday.
Courtney Deveau and her boyfriend Zachary Legacy were talking about the moose signage and fencing around the highway they were travelling along just moments before they hit a moose that totalled their Volkswagen Golf.
CN Rail crews were clearing tracks early Sunday morning after nine train cars derailed near Jubilee Station in Winnipeg.
A man has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after two people were killed near Grande Prairie, Alta. early Saturday morning.