Dear Solicitor General Jones:
Re: Investigation into the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet
We are writing on behalf of the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) and ARCH Disability Law Centre (ARCH) to demand for an independent investigation into the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet. Ms. Korchinski- Paquet, a Black-Indigenous woman, fell 24 storeys to her death in the presence of members of the Toronto Police Service on May 27, 2020. While the details of the police interaction with Ms. Korchinski- Paquet and what occurred during that time are still not clear, we know that her mother called police for assistance.
We understand that the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is now conducting an investigation into her death. We remain concerned about the fairness, transparency, and effectiveness of the SIU process in this matter. SIU’s mandate is to “maintain confidence in Ontario’s police services by assuring the public that police actions resulting in serious injury, death, or allegations of sexual assault are subjected to rigorous, independent investigations.” However, there are growing concerns over the ability of the SIU to conduct truly independent investigations for the following reasons.