Public memorial, Walk for Justice planned for Regis Korchinski-Paquet

As the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) continues to probe police involvement in the death of a woman who fell from the balcony of a high-rise building in May, a public memorial is being planned in her honour.

The memorial celebrating the life of Regis Korchinski-Paquet has been planned for July 25 and will take place outside the High Park building where she died.

Community organizations and advocates called for action for police accountability are expected to be among those who will speak.

Following the memorial, the first annual Regis Korchinski-Paquet Walk For Justice will take place. Details of the walk route will be released next week.

Korchinski-Paquet died after police responded to 911 calls from the home about a possible assault. Her mother has said she wanted police to take her daughter to a mental health facility in Toronto.

The 29-year-old woman’s family has questioned the role of Toronto police officers in her death.

During her funeral last month. Korchinski-Paquet was remembered as a carding woman who started every day by texting her siblings “Good Morning, I love you!”

According to lawyers for the family, the SIU is in the closing stages of their investigation, after conducting all interviews with the family.

A second autopsy is currently being conducted out of province and those results will be shared with the SIU.

Korchinski-Paquet’s relatives want answers to what they believe are shortcomings in the SIU process.

They say those issues will come to light when the findings of the investigation are made public.

A statement also says a legal team has been assembled that includes former SIU director Howard Morton, who believes the circumstances and evidence obtained from family members present at the time of the incident suggest there is a foundation for criminal liability.