Family boycotts inquest into son’s death during police intervention

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The household of an Île-Bizard man who died 5 years in the past throughout a police intervention is boycotting the coroner’s inquest into the loss of life, calling it a “circus act.”

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“The federal government is just attempting to tug wool over the eyes of the general public to make it seem that we reside in a simply society, whereas denying us simply remedy,” Cesur Celik informed reporters Monday morning outdoors the Montreal courtroom the place the inquest was set to start.

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Coroner Luc Malouin “issued subpoenas to carry us right here at the moment and tomorrow. We consider the method isn’t honest,” Celik mentioned.

On March 6, 2017, Celik’s youngest son, Koray, was sitting in his room, intoxicated and in a state of disaster. His dad and mom tried to console him. When he began talking of driving off, they hid the automobile keys. When he discovered one other set, they known as the Montreal police.

Koray, 28, died of coronary heart failure in the course of the ensuing police intervention. His dad and mom witnessed the whole lot of what transpired. However they are saying their model of occasions has been ignored since Day 1, including to their ache in these final two years.

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“There was no crime; he wanted assist. He was killed,” Celik mentioned. “(Police) dealt him a loss of life sentence. To us, they dealt us a life sentence. My household fell aside. We now have suffered many well being and psychological struggles within the final 5 years. They’ll by no means come to an finish.

“Ask yourselves, for many who are moms and dads: Do you actually assume life can go on? It’s not potential.”

Throughout a 20-plus minute ready assertion to the information media, Celik outlined what he perceived as irregularities of the investigation by Quebec’s Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI). He mentioned 4 cops have been permitted to stay collectively after the investigation, when they need to have been separated, and officers interviewed relations whereas Koray was on his approach to the hospital, when rules say BEI investigators must be the primary to interview witnesses.

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He added that the Crown prosecutor refused to satisfy the household twice: as soon as to listen to their model of occasions, and once more after they requested to listen to the choice forward of its public launch. (In the long run, the household met with a consultant and was permitted to learn the choice a half-hour earlier than it was publicly out there.)

The BEI investigation cleared officers of all wrongdoing, and prosecutors elected to not lay expenses.

Celik mentioned whereas he welcomed the coroner’s inquest at first, the household believes the supposed unbiased inquiry is already biased towards cops.

“State organizations misplaced our confidence; they’re there to guard the cops who kill civilians on this province with impunity.”

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For example, he mentioned officers have entry to free authorized illustration, whereas the household is supplied with a most $20,000.

“Funding is the indicator of the federal government’s intent; they’ve been appearing partial till now,” he mentioned. “They’re persevering with to do this by tilting the scales of justice within the favour of police.”

Celik’s legal professional, Virginie Dufresne-Lemire, mentioned the household met with the coroner to elucidate its place, and plainly their want will likely be revered.

Nevertheless, the household is technically susceptible to being arrested for not exhibiting as much as a court-ordered look.

Dufresne-Lemire mentioned the coroner already has the household’s model of occasions.

“This isn’t information to the coroner’s workplace,” she mentioned, including that Malouin indicated he can’t go over and above the ruling by the province.

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Talking to reporters, Malouin mentioned the choice of the household was “unlucky.”

Alexandre Popovic, who’s intervening within the inquiry on behalf of the Coalition contre la répression et les abus policiers (CRAP), mentioned he understands the household’s determination.

“The household is completely proper in saying that there isn’t a restrict to the funding that taxpayers are giving to these cops,” he informed reporters. “So how come there are limits for the household? They’re those who misplaced somebody. They’re those that already paid the heaviest value. And the state is telling them, ‘you’re going to proceed to pay.’ That’s not honest.”

He added that he, too, is troubled by how the BEI carried out this investigation, saying it investigated the sufferer greater than the cops in query.

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Through the listening to on Monday, Constable Alexandre Bélair, the second police officer on the scene, testified that Koray Celik was agitated and gave the impression to be making ready to assault officers on the night time in query.

He mentioned Celik had his fists clenched and charged at his associate, however didn’t make contact. That’s when she hit him together with her telescopic stick with distract him.

The officers pinned him down on the bottom, and whereas he was mendacity on his abdomen they tried to tie his arms collectively, however he was transferring them an excessive amount of. They ended up utilizing two arm restraints and tying them collectively, Bélair mentioned, including that he put all his weight on Celik’s decrease physique in an try and immobilize him.

As they have been pinning him, Celik was having bother respiration. Bélair tried to see if there was one thing obstructing his airway, however discovered nothing.

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Quickly after, Célik stopped respiration and was discovered to don’t have any pulse. Police did CPR and known as for emergency responders to reach. Bélair mentioned it took a “very long time” for firefighters appearing as first responders to reach on the scene, they usually didn’t have defibrillators with them after they did.

The defibrillators have been introduced on the scene later, and emergency responders continued to attempt to reanimate Celik. He was then taken to a hospital.

Afterwards, Bélair and his associate have been positioned in the identical squad automobile and brought to neighbourhood Police Station 3 in Pierrefonds. He mentioned they didn’t converse to one another within the automobile, and have been separated whereas they ready their report. He was then questioned by BEI investigators.

In questioning from Popovic, Bélair mentioned he was informed to not enter the home by Cesur Celik. He mentioned he entered as a result of he was involved for his associate.

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Bélair’s associate for that night, Karine Bujold, is predicted to testify on Tuesday morning.

In asserting it could not be laying expenses, in Could 2019, the workplace of the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) mentioned it reviewed the BEI’s investigation and located no proof to indicate prison wrongdoing on the a part of the officers.

It mentioned Koray confirmed “indicators of aggressiveness and warning indicators of assault,” and the officers observed he was now not resisting as quickly as he was handcuffed.

An post-mortem report revealed Koray died of cardiorespiratory arrest “not ensuing from the intervention of a 3rd occasion, however from intoxication or an antagonistic response to a mix of intoxicating substances, and this, within the context of agitated delirium.”

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A pre-existing coronary heart situation additionally may have contributed to the loss of life, the DPCP added. The intervention was authorized, it concluded, because the officers have been appearing on their responsibility to make sure folks’s security.

As soon as the DPCP introduced its determination, the BEI issued an announcement to say it was closing the case.

The coroner’s inquest is predicted to final three weeks. Members of the general public can comply with it on Microsoft Groups.

Jesse Feith of the Montreal Gazette contributed to this report.

jmagder@postmedia.com

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