NewzA coroner’s inquest is scheduled to start Tuesday in the case of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Afro-Indigenous woman who fell from a Toronto high rise balcony while police were in her home in 2020. Here is a timeline of key events in the case: May 27, 2020: The Special Investigations Unit says it is investigating the death of a woman who fell from a 24th-floor balcony while police were in the apartment. Korchinski-Paquet’s death sparks questions from her family, local politicians, and on social media about the role of police officers in the incident.
In the days that follow, Korchinski-Paquet’s mother says she called police that day hoping they would take her daughter to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health but instead the woman ended up dead. May 30, 2020: Thousands of people take to the streets in Toronto to protest against racism and demand answers in Korchinski-Paquet’s case. Several smaller marches follow over the next few weeks.
June 3, 2020: The SIU urges police to stop speaking on the case after Korchinski-Paquet’s family postpones meeting the watchdog, citing concerns about possible police leaks. June 8, 2020: Two Toronto city councillors put forward a motion to defund the city’s police force by 10 per cent and use the money for community resources. June 10, 2020: Korchinski-Paquet’s family says it will talk to the SIU.
June 11, 2020: The family holds a small funeral for her. June 29, 2020: Toronto city council votes against defunding the police budget but approves numerous reforms to the service, including anti-racism measures and the implementation of body-worn cameras. July 25, 2020: Family, friends and community members gather for a memorial and walk to honour Korchinski-Paquet.
26, 2020: The SIU clears police of wrongdoing in her death, finding the officers tried to de-escalate the situation and “though their efforts were unsuccessful,” none of them broke the law. Korchinski-Paquet’s family rejects the findings. 3, 2021: Toronto announces a pilot project to send crisis-support workers instead of police to certain 911 calls in the city.
The pilot, set to begin the following year, comes after widespread calls for police reform, including improvements to how police deal with those experiencing mental-health crises. May 26, 2021: A lawyer for Korchinski-Paquet’s family says they recently filed a complaint with the Office o… TORONTO - A coroner's inquest is scheduled to start Tuesday in the case of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Afro-Indigenous woman who fell from a Toronto highrise balcony while police were in her home in 2020.
Summary from source