Family allege police played a role in death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet

The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating the death of a 29-year-old woman in the High Park neighbourhood.

According to the SIU, police were called to an apartment building on High Park Avenue just after 5:15 p.m. Wednesday following reports of a domestic dispute.

“While officers were inside an apartment unit on the 24th floor, they observed a woman on the balcony,” read a statement released by the SIU.

The SIU statement does not say if there was any of interaction with police except that, “a short time later, the woman fell from the balcony to the ground below.”

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She has been since been identified as as Regis Korchinski-Paquet by several people online and High Park-Parkdale Councillor Gord Perks.

Family members of the victim say that police played a role in her death. However, these allegations have not been substantiated.

At a press conference on Thursday, Korchinski-Paquet’s family claimed her mother had called the police due to the victim being “in distress over family conflict.” The family said the victim was experiencing a mental health crisis after an epileptic seizure.

“I asked the police [Wednesday] if they could take my daughter to CAMH. My daughter ended up death, so I don’t understand,” Korchinski-Paquet’s mother told reporters.

Knia Singh, a lawyer for the family, read a statement, detailing the incident.

He said Korchinski-Paquet’s mother urged police officers when they arrived to take her daughter to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to receive assistance. Her brother was also present at the time.

Police spoke briefly with Korchinski-Paquet before she went back into the unit. Approximately five to eight police officers followed, but her mother and brother were not allowed to reenter the unit, according to the family.

“After approximately one to two minutes, the mother and the brother heard commotion in the apartment and then heard Regis cry out, ‘mom help, mom help, mom help.’ After that mother and brother heard silence,” Singh said in a statement to reporters.

According to the family, police said the police officers then exited and knocked on the door of the neighbouring unit, saying Korchinski-Paquet was on the balcony of the unit below.

Shortly after, the family said police told them Korchinski-Paquet was on the ground.

“Regis has been calling the building for weeks in an attempt to get a screen put on her balcony as her neighbour has a screen. She’s had very strong concerns about the safety,” Singh said.

He also said they are also urging the SIU to review any surveillance footage from the hallway.

Chief Mark Saunders released a statement Thursday, saying Toronto police are fully cooperating with the SIU investigation, adding they are not legally permitted to discuss the incident at this time.

Watch: Police chief urges public to ‘wait for the facts’

“Let me be very clear that we want the facts as much as anyone,” read the statement. “We know this incident has caused a great deal of concern and our thoughts are with the family and the community.”

“While we cannot comment at this stage, I understand the community’s need for answers. I urge witnesses to contact the SIU,” he added.

Saunders later said at a press conference that body cameras were not worn by police officers during the incident, but added there is a definite need for them.

“This might be a textbook case why body cameras should be provided. We are looking at getting them out sooner than later,” said Saunders. “It will assist in adding as much objective evidence to the situations and it would have the opportunity i think of killing all the misinformation that goes out.”

In a statement released on Friday, the Toronto Police Association offered their condolences to the family and friends of Korchinski-Paquet, but added that the death is a “tragedy that affects everyone involved; the family, the police and the community at large.”

“Due process to determine what transpired is of utmost importance. Unfounded allegations that police officers pushed a woman to her death from a balcony, in the absence of evidence or fact, perpetuate a false narrative that the police are the enemy. We understand that where there is a lack of information, people may fill in the gaps and create a false narrative,” the statement reads.

“We are aware that this narrative, speculating on the events leading to Ms. Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s death, is circulating on mainstream and social media. We are deeply disturbed by this and disappointed that some of Toronto’s elected city councillors choose to participate in the discussion during an active SIU investigation.

“The public is entitled to the highest standards from elected officials. Comments made without facts are a disservice to the community and the police. Judging behaviour without context, without any framework as to what occurred, or any evidence is irresponsible and inflammatory.”

On Thursday, Perks tweeted he would be watching the investigation closely and added, “Her family deserves answers, as do we all.”

Mayor John Tory also extended his condolences to Korchinski-Paquet’s family in a statement.

“I know her family have raised questions about her death and want answers about what has happened. We all want and need answers when a tragic death happens in our community, said Tory. “I fully support the investigation underway by the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into her death.”

The mayor reiterated that the SIU investigation is independent from the Toronto Police Service and urged witnesses to come forward.

“I know that any delay in getting answers is incredibly frustrating for people, myself included, who want to know what happened but this independent investigation is necessary to provide our community with all the facts and to ensure full accountability and transparency,” added Tory.

The SIU says a post-mortem will be conducted Thursday afternoon.

The police watchdog added in an updated release they were aware of the allegations made by certain family members of the deceased and are looking to speak to anyone with information about these allegations.

The SIU said it would be inappropriate for them to make any further comment as the investigation is still in the early stages.

The family’s lawyer said this is not the first time police have failed to deal with mental health calls appropriately.

“If we see statistically, there is a higher proportion of violence against people of colour. When you intersect mental health and colour, then you get an even higher percentage,” Singh said.

One of the cases that drew national attention was Andrew Loku, a black man with mental health issues who was shot to death by Toronto police in 2015. The officers in the Loku case were never charged. A coroner’s inquest in 2019 recommended that the Toronto Police Service expand its crisis services, review use-of-force training, and focus on de-escalation.

The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.