MONTREAL, CANADA - An independent body exonerated Wednesday, in a report which angered the family of the victim, six police officers who intervened at the home of a young Black woman when she fell from the 24th floor of her building in Toronto.
Regis Korchinski-Paquet, 29, died on May 27 after falling from the balcony of her apartment.
The incident occurred during a police response, called by her mother after a family dispute. The young woman, who suffered from mental health problems, was having an epileptic seizure, according to Canadian media.
Six Toronto police officers were present at her home at the time of his fall, which had led to the opening of an investigation by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to determine the circumstances of the tragedy.
"After reviewing the evidence file, the director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, concluded that there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any of the police officers involved had committed a criminal offense in connection with the death of Ms. Korchinski-Paquet,” said the SIU.
The Special Investigations Unit is an independent body responsible for investigating incidents involving police officers causing death or serious injury or involving allegations of sexual assault.
"There have been allegations that she was pushed off the balcony by the police. The evidence shows that this did not happen," Martino said.
The family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet said they were "absolutely disgusted" by the results of the investigation and promised to continue their fight to shed light on this affair.
"People must be held accountable for their actions, but they are not. And it is a problem, a big problem," lamented Renee Korchinski, the sister of the victim, during a press conference.
Regis Korchinski-Paquet died two days before George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Floyd’s death had led to numerous protests against police violence and racism in the United States and Canada, as well as around the world.