Despite a report from Ontario’s top pathologist citing blame on the actions of corrections officers, the OPP again states that no criminal charges will be filed in the 2016 death. Suleiman Fakiri Feather Middle East Correctional Center In Lindsay, Ont.
It is now the third time that police – municipal and provincial – have conducted an investigation but have not filed any criminal charges in the death of 30-year-old Ajax, the man on December 15, 2016.
Global News has obtained correspondence from the OPP issued to the Fakiri family in February 2022. OPP date. Inspector Brad Collins says that although a second post-mortem conducted in 2021 by chief forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Pollanen determined Faqiri died at the hands of corrections officers, it was the OPP’s “pre-investigation conclusion” in the incident. does not change.
“This is because there is insufficient evidence to form a necessary basis for believing that an individual or group has committed a criminal offense,” Collins said.
“Ontario Provincial Police assures the family that a thorough and objective investigation was completed. This includes careful consideration of Dr. Michael Pollanen’s August 2021 postmortem report.”
An original post-mortem conducted by a coroner in 2017 said the cause of death was “undetermined” and that Fakiri’s injuries were “insufficient to explain the death”.
City of Kavartha Lake Police Service in Lindsay in October 2017 He said that after their preliminary investigation there was no basis for criminal charges. In August 2020, OPP also concluded No criminal charges will be brought against the six corrections officers directly involved in the incident.
Fakiri was in solitary confinement while in custody in the Super Jail. He was suffering from schizophrenia and was awaiting a mental health evaluation and transfer to a health facility. Postmortem and police reports said he had an altercation with several guards and over 50 were injured. He was declared brought dead on December 15, 2016.
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Ontario prison guards broke rules against use of force in Suleiman Fakiri’s death: court document
Court documents later revealed that guards handcuffed Fakiri, pepper-sprayed him and his head was placed inside a spit hood – contrary to provincial restraint training guidelines and policies.
Fakiri’s family, who fought for years on criminal charges of death, said on Tuesday that the OPP’s latest decision is “another major blow to the public’s confidence in law enforcement.”
“Dr. Polanen’s report was light at the end of a very dark tunnel for our family,” said Yusuf Fakiri, Suleiman’s brother and founder of the Justice for Soli movement.
“We thought we would finally see justice and those who killed him would be held accountable. OPP’s decision to hold no one accountable is a slap in the face to all Ontarians who believe that no one should be above the law , not even the corrections officers. This is a gross miscarriage of justice. This fight is not over yet.
“OPP failed my family, they failed Suleiman, and they failed Ontario by failing to do their job.”
Nadir Hassan, the lawyer for the faqiri’s family, says the OPP continues to “pretend” that Canadian criminal law does not apply in death.
“They know that the guards illegally used force on Suleiman,” he said. “They know that the guards had illegally imprisoned Suleiman while he was beating him. They know that the guards killed him while they were committing these crimes. Yet, the OPP keeps on pretending that it was not murder. Is.
“Over the past four years, we have grown accustomed to the OPP’s dogma, but that doesn’t make their behavior any less shameful,” Hassan said.
Ontario’s Solicitor General’s Ministry continues to decline to comment on the incident due to ongoing legal proceedings.
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