Yet another police shooting fatality! A dozen or more police officers were not able to subdue, arrest, restrain one man with scissors? What about talking calmly with the man? Calling in an experienced crisis worker? Yes these solutions may have taken longer but in the end isn't a life saved worth the extra time and trouble? I know what the cops will say. There wasn't time, the man presented a danger, etc, etc. Then why not use other police "tools" which we know police are well trained and experienced in using, as evidenced by the high incidence of their over use...tasers and pepper spray. Police are trained in the take town of high risk persons. The public are led to believe that non lethal tactics will be employed first, with tactics likely to kill employed only as a final, last ditch, emergency effort.
The Toronto Star had this report;
Neighbours who watched police shoot dead a 29-year-old man wearing a
hospital gown in Toronto’s east end Friday are questioning whether
excessive force was used.
Douglas Pritchard, who was 10 metres
away, said there were enough police around to subdue the victim on
Milverton Blvd., a few blocks south of Toronto East General Hospital.
But another neighbour, also close, believes police had no other choice.
The shooting occurred about 20
minutes after paramedics were called to a stabbing inside a nearby
convenience store, at the corner of Sammon and Woodington Aves., across
from the hospital.
An EMS official said those injuries were minor.
Witnesses reported that the man
arrived on Milverton just after 10 a.m. and began banging on the back
door of a house and trying to get in.
The man — who witnesses described as
wearing no shoes and wielding two pairs of scissors — was fatally shot
on the quiet residential street at around 10:15 a.m.
He was taken to St. Michael’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim has not yet been identified.
Toronto police would not provide
details of the shooting because it is now being probed by the province’s
Special Investigations Unit.
In previous cases of police shootings
where the use of deadly force has been questioned, officer have said
they are trained to shoot at the centre of the body, not arms or legs.
However, the incident has raised alarming concerns for Pritchard, 63, who was out running with his dog.
Pritchard said he saw a middle-aged
man, about 5-foot-8 with dark hair and wearing a blue shirt that looked
like a hospital gown. About five or six officers were behind the man
trying to grab or restrain him and another two or three were in front,
Pritchard said.
“And then I saw one officer raise his
arm and fire at him point blank three shots,” said Pritchard, adding
the shots were fired from about half a metre away.
Pritchard said that, as far as he could see, the man was not brandishing any weapons.
He fell to the pavement and police
jumped on top of him, still trying to restrain him while his body was
writhing, said Pritchard, adding the officers continued to restrain the
man until his body stopped moving.
“My concern is, is this a man with
mental health issues? From the time I came on the scene they had him
surrounded with 11 police cars in total. I counted. There must have been
15 officers around this man in total,” said Pritchard.
“Was this an appropriate use of force in this situation? Was there a mental health team on site?”
People need to know the answers to these questions, he said.
“It gives me a real concern to see that level of force applied and someone shot on our streets,” Pritchard said.
Another neighbour, Chad, who would only give his first name, said the shooting occurred in front of his house.
He said the victim was walking toward police with his arms outstretched and a pair of scissors in each hand.
“Stop, stop, stop,” police said to
the man, according to Chad, who believes the officers were justified in
their actions. “They did their job. They had no choice.”
A police officer also suffered minor injuries in the incident.
The victim is believed to have come from Toronto East General Hospital, although it’s unclear why the man was at the hospital.
Toronto East spokeswoman Angela
Pappaianni said the hospital could not answer any questions because of
the ongoing investigation.
“We are cooperating with the SIU,” she said.
Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Concerns Impacting Those Vulnerable to Criminalisation: Ontario's Watchdog
Ontario’s current Ombudsman, Andre Marin has proven himself to be a brave and outspoken critic regarding concerns within provincial government policy and law. Each year the Ombudsman prepares an end of year report documenting the most serious issues investigated by the Ombudsman's office that year. Many of the problems they identified are deeply systemic issues that impact the most vulnerable amongst us more often, and more harshly than other people.
Those who live in poverty, who suffer the effects of trauma, people of colour, those who use drugs, people living with disability or health issues like HIV/AIDS, and the LGTBQ communities are just a few of those most vulnerable to systemic violence.
Mr. Marin identified 10 of the top problems and/or changes needed within provincial government services. Some of these issues, he has a mandate to oversee, others he does not, and can do little more than to continue advocating for oversight.
This article focuses on those areas Andre identified which are most likely to impact on the above populations.
You can read the entire document at:
http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Newsroom/Press-Release/2011/Ontario-Ombudsman%E2%80%99s-Top-10-Highlights-of-2011.aspx?lang=en-CA .
People who are criminalised and who have children will also be targeted to have their children apprehended. There are many CAS workers in Ontario who despite changing policy, believe that parents who use drugs are automatically “bad” parents and may have their children stolen while they are in school. Children’s Aid requires no warrant to apprehend a child. They will be required to define their reasons later on in a court room. However it is highly unusual for a judge to go against a CAS official. They are given a great deal of latitude and until a judge has reason to believe this “impartial” worker is anything less than that, they will assume there is no reason to suspect wrong doing. This idea that people who use drugs can’t be good parents is of course a moral and hypocritical one. The majority of people in this province drink alcohol, about 1/3rd smoke cigarettes. These substances are known to do more harm both individually and socially than all other substances combined.
People who use drugs are not the only ones targeted for CAS exploitation. Single parent families are prime suspects, as are those who school their children at home. New immigrants to Canada, and those with cultural practices that vary from the Canadian “norm” are also targets of CAS intervention.
Anyone wishing to launch an official complaint can expect lots of red tape, and a solid wall of silence, a culture of collusion, and an environment of animosity from that point forward. you better be sure this is your last option, because from here on out it will get worse. The people who you need to complain about will be the same ones investigating the complaint. Complaints must first be launched at the office where you have an issue. If supervisor’s here fail to resolve the issue, you may than take it to the Child and Family Services Review Board at the Ministry of Children and Youth. Keep in mind that these people are mandated by the same legislation as individual CAS offices and they often work together on policy and procedure. The Ministry is not independent from the Children’s Aid Society.
The Ombudsman’s office received 386 complaints about CAS’s this past year.
There are citizen action groups attempting to make CAS’s a purview of the Ombudsman, as well as documenting the behaviour of individuals within the organization.
Please visit some of the below sites to learn more about the child protection industry in Ontario and the terrible impacts on those with little power to fight back.
(this group has been unfairly shut down before as a result of supporters of CAS complaints)
Some of the main findings of the Ombudsman’s investigation were, criticism of the Minister’s decision to implement war time measures during a time of peace; the Public Works Protection Act was not legal in the context to which it was applied during the G20; It was intended to be used for the protection of infrastructure and not visiting world leaders; Mr. Marin called the use of this legislation opportunistic and inappropriate; hundreds of people were unnecessarily arrested under authority of the PWPA; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects people against arbitrary arrest or arbitrary detention; “The police had no business detaining anyone without lawful authority, and ordinarily – where no special laws operate – their lawful authority to arrest or detain is closely restricted in the interests of civil liberties.”
To read the full report, Caught in the Act, from the Ombudsman’s Investigation of events during the G20 see; http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Investigations/SORT-Investigations/Completed/G20-summit--Caught-in-the-Act-br---December-2010.aspx
check here for updates: http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Newsroom/Press-Release/2011/Ombudsman-to-investigate-handling-of-excessive-for.aspx
All of the investigations the Ombudsman carries out are on serious issues and allegations. As Ontarians we should consider these issues with a critical lens. And decide for ourselves whether increased support of investigative powers for the Ombudsman is warranted.
I believe we could go a long way to resolving many of these issues by completely eliminating those bodies, services, and organizations doing damage to our families and to us as individuals. We could than create civilian committees to direct ideas, and insight towards just and reasonable solutions which are inclusive of all those involved.
To sign a petition giving the provincial Ombudsman in Ontario oversight of the MUSH sector go to: http://ontariocfa.com/
To see work students at York University in Toronto are doing around this issue: http://www.yugsa.ca/?section_id=6&content_id=561
Those who live in poverty, who suffer the effects of trauma, people of colour, those who use drugs, people living with disability or health issues like HIV/AIDS, and the LGTBQ communities are just a few of those most vulnerable to systemic violence.
Mr. Marin identified 10 of the top problems and/or changes needed within provincial government services. Some of these issues, he has a mandate to oversee, others he does not, and can do little more than to continue advocating for oversight.
This article focuses on those areas Andre identified which are most likely to impact on the above populations.
You can read the entire document at:
http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Newsroom/Press-Release/2011/Ontario-Ombudsman%E2%80%99s-Top-10-Highlights-of-2011.aspx?lang=en-CA .
1. Special Investigations Unit (SIU) - Investigation
Number one on Andre’s list is an Ombudsman’s office investigation into operations at Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU). They are a civilian organization, mandated to investigate issues where police have been involved in causing injury or death to civilians. Mr. Marin pointed out that the SIU does not have enough bite and the power it does have, often is not used. Andre pointed out incidents where police refused to communicate with the SIU, ignoring letters and holding back notes. In some cases police even refused to fill out shift reports until they had been vetted by legal council. When hearings into deaths and injury’s were taking place, those officers involved and other police witnesses used the same council. Mr. Marin and others pointed out the conflict of interest problem and stated that this routine opened the possibility of collusion.
2. Mush Sector Investigation
Lack of Ombudsman oversight of the so called MUSH sector has been an ongoing complaint for 35 years in Ontario. MUSH stands for Municipalities, Universities, School Boards, and Hospitals. It includes things like long term care facilities, nursing homes, student unions, police, and child protection services like the Children’s Aid Society (CAS). The Ombudsman’s office receives hundreds of calls each year surrounding issues in these sectors, yet they cannot investigate.
There were 758 complaints regarding municipalities, which included things like evictions and delays in obtaining public housing, and poor service in the administration of welfare. In 2009 the city of Toronto instituted its own Ombudsman to oversee municipalities. However this covers only a small portion of agencies within the MUSH sector and it leaves out the rest of the population of Ontario.a. Municipalities (MUSH)
Most of Ontario’s vulnerable populations will not be given the opportunity to attend university. There are a host of reasons for this, but to sum it in a few words, vulnerable people face more barriers than the average person. Its why we are referred to as vulnerable. When marginalised persons are able to overcome multiple barriers to higher education, often it will be a college level program. And thankfully, here Mr. Marin can intervene. However for those who manage to persevere and push on to university, the Ombudsman's office is unable to step in when problems do arise. There were 39 complaints in the 2010/2011 year.b. Universities (MUSH)
The ombudsman received 99 complaints about school boards. Most of those complaints revolved around issues with boards not providing adequate support to students with special or disciplinary needs. It also included issues with transportation services and bullying. These issues are likely to impact the children of vulnerable families most often. Because families are subjected to issues such as poor wages, low welfare rates, poor enforcement of job related rights, inadequate access to healthcare and counselling services, because these families are often singled out for criminalisation, they face a great deal of instability. These are forms of violence with intergenerational impacts which for children can include poor school attendance, an inability to focus, and certain behavioural effects.c. School Boards (MUSH)
Probably the single greatest impact on marginalised families is at the hands of these arms length government officials. Also I believe the least talked about, even within progressive communities that care.d. Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) (MUSH)
People who are criminalised and who have children will also be targeted to have their children apprehended. There are many CAS workers in Ontario who despite changing policy, believe that parents who use drugs are automatically “bad” parents and may have their children stolen while they are in school. Children’s Aid requires no warrant to apprehend a child. They will be required to define their reasons later on in a court room. However it is highly unusual for a judge to go against a CAS official. They are given a great deal of latitude and until a judge has reason to believe this “impartial” worker is anything less than that, they will assume there is no reason to suspect wrong doing. This idea that people who use drugs can’t be good parents is of course a moral and hypocritical one. The majority of people in this province drink alcohol, about 1/3rd smoke cigarettes. These substances are known to do more harm both individually and socially than all other substances combined.
People who use drugs are not the only ones targeted for CAS exploitation. Single parent families are prime suspects, as are those who school their children at home. New immigrants to Canada, and those with cultural practices that vary from the Canadian “norm” are also targets of CAS intervention.
Anyone wishing to launch an official complaint can expect lots of red tape, and a solid wall of silence, a culture of collusion, and an environment of animosity from that point forward. you better be sure this is your last option, because from here on out it will get worse. The people who you need to complain about will be the same ones investigating the complaint. Complaints must first be launched at the office where you have an issue. If supervisor’s here fail to resolve the issue, you may than take it to the Child and Family Services Review Board at the Ministry of Children and Youth. Keep in mind that these people are mandated by the same legislation as individual CAS offices and they often work together on policy and procedure. The Ministry is not independent from the Children’s Aid Society.
The Ombudsman’s office received 386 complaints about CAS’s this past year.
There are citizen action groups attempting to make CAS’s a purview of the Ombudsman, as well as documenting the behaviour of individuals within the organization.
Please visit some of the below sites to learn more about the child protection industry in Ontario and the terrible impacts on those with little power to fight back.
(this group has been unfairly shut down before as a result of supporters of CAS complaints)
- http://www.exiledmothers.com/speaking_out/maternal_terrorism.html (Article on forced adoption)
- http://corruptioncentral.com/
- http://focasd.webs.com/
- Stop Taking Children from Good Parents Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stopcasgroup/
- http://www.fighting4families.webs.com/
- http://www.afterfostercare.ca/
- http://www.protectingcanadianchildren.ca/
- http://www.sosquebec.com/
An obvious service when talking about impacts on marginalised people. The Ombudsman’s office received 356 complaints about police and an additional 15 complaints about the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), which is the Ministry of the Attorney General’s service to investigate civilian complaints. The Ombudsman does not have power of oversight with regards to the police.e. Police (MUSH)
3. G20 Investigation
Mr. Marin’s office was able to investigate police actions during the G20 through their investigation into the use of the 1939 Public Works Protection Act (PWPA) which was brought into effect during an era of world unrest and prior to Canada’s implementation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The implementation during the G20 of the PWPA expanded police powers of search, seizure and arrest.Some of the main findings of the Ombudsman’s investigation were, criticism of the Minister’s decision to implement war time measures during a time of peace; the Public Works Protection Act was not legal in the context to which it was applied during the G20; It was intended to be used for the protection of infrastructure and not visiting world leaders; Mr. Marin called the use of this legislation opportunistic and inappropriate; hundreds of people were unnecessarily arrested under authority of the PWPA; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects people against arbitrary arrest or arbitrary detention; “The police had no business detaining anyone without lawful authority, and ordinarily – where no special laws operate – their lawful authority to arrest or detain is closely restricted in the interests of civil liberties.”
To read the full report, Caught in the Act, from the Ombudsman’s Investigation of events during the G20 see; http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Investigations/SORT-Investigations/Completed/G20-summit--Caught-in-the-Act-br---December-2010.aspx
4. Use of Force Investigation
100 prisoners called the office of the Ombudsman to report incidents involving excessive use of force during the 2010/2011 year. No results have been released yet regarding this investigation. In a press release the Ombudsman’s office stated that they would investigate how incidents involving excessive use of force are handled within the system as well as allegations by prisoners that these incidents are often ignored or covered up. Because reports of cover up come from many institutions, the Ombudsman will investigate a suspected “code of silence” among correctional staff.
check here for updates: http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/Newsroom/Press-Release/2011/Ombudsman-to-investigate-handling-of-excessive-for.aspx
All of the investigations the Ombudsman carries out are on serious issues and allegations. As Ontarians we should consider these issues with a critical lens. And decide for ourselves whether increased support of investigative powers for the Ombudsman is warranted.
I believe we could go a long way to resolving many of these issues by completely eliminating those bodies, services, and organizations doing damage to our families and to us as individuals. We could than create civilian committees to direct ideas, and insight towards just and reasonable solutions which are inclusive of all those involved.
To sign a petition giving the provincial Ombudsman in Ontario oversight of the MUSH sector go to: http://ontariocfa.com/
To see work students at York University in Toronto are doing around this issue: http://www.yugsa.ca/?section_id=6&content_id=561
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