'No winners' in release of SIU report on Regis Korchinski-Paquet's death
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The city’s top cop says there are no winners following the release of an SIU report on the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet on Wednesday.
Speaking to media from Toronto Police Headquarters, interim Chief James Ramer said both he and the service mourn the woman’s death and offer their sincerest sympathies to her family.
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“Although our officers were cleared — a finding I fully stand behind — there is no win in this tragic situation for anyone,” he said.
“This is a profound event for the officers in involved, and the Toronto Police Service.”
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The report cleared officers of any criminal wrongdoing in the death of the 29-year-old, who fell from her 24th-floor balcony while attempting to climb to an adjacent apartment.
“The trust of the public is of paramount importance to us,” Ramer said. “As such, it is very important that the full timeline, and the facts from all sides, have been released and the details of a very volatile scene to which the officers arrived and tired to manage are now available.”
He said his officers are highly trained to deal with “intense, dynamic” situations like the one that unfolded at a High Park highrise on May 27.
“They acted professionally and followed their training to the best of their abilities, and in the interests of a family that was in distress.” Ramer said.
Under Ontario’s Police Services Act, the Toronto Police Service will conduct its own investigation into the matter, one Ramer hopes will shed light on ways the service could better respond to such incidents in the future.
“I think we tried our best on that day, and we’ll examine everything again to see if we can do better,” he said.
Meanwhile, Korchinski-Paquet’s family expressed their dismay over the SIU’s findings.
“The decision of the SIU not to lay any criminal charges, or have any criminal liability in this situation, for us is disappointing,” family lawyer Knia Singh told reporters Wednesday outside 100 High Park Ave., the apartment building where Korchinski-Paquet fell to her death.
“The system, and the process need to change,” he said.
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Singh said the family is conducting its own investigation, and he alleged a second independent autopsy ordered by the family found inconsistencies that were missed by the official port-mortem examination conducted by Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner — specifically concerning injuries suffered before she fell.
Singh also accused officers of dereliction of care in keeping Korchinski-Paquet from harming herself while in their custody.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
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