A Coroner's Inquest into the death of Sean Reilly is taking place this week and into next week in Brampton, Ontario:
Monday (May 16), Tuesday (May 17), Wednesday (May 18), Friday (May 20), Tuesday (May 24)
Monte Carlo Inn Airport Suites
7035 Edwards Blvd Brampton
One block east of Hurontario off Derry Rd
Princess Grace Rm on 6th Floor
9:30am to 5pm
Sean Reilly, age 42, died on September 17, 2008. According to reports, he was tasered twice.
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that officers from Peel Regional Police (PRP) committed any criminal offence in relation to the death of a 42-year-old Brampton man on September 17, 2008.
The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident.
On the evening of September 16, 2008, Sean Reilly was arrested at a Mississauga home on a charge of assault, and was subsequently taken to 12 Division police station where he was lodged in a cell. Approximately thirty minutes later, Mr. Reilly was seen on a cell monitor banging his head on the bars, causing his forehead to bleed. Officers attended the cell area and told Mr. Reilly they would take him to hospital, but he continued to ram his head into the bars. He finally complied with demands to get down on his knees. When an officer entered the cell, Mr. Reilly ran at him. The officers pinned Mr. Reilly to the ground, but he continued to struggle. A Taser was discharged by one of the officers to Mr. Reilly's shoulder blade, whereupon Mr. Reilly stopped resisting and was handcuffed. He immediately fell into physical distress, and shortly after, stopped breathing. The officers started cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the arrival of the paramedics, who successfully regained his pulse. Mr. Reilly was then transported to Mississauga General Hospital where he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead the next day.
There will be a mandatory inquest in this matter, and accordingly, the cause of death will be determined by the jury after they have heard all of the evidence. For purposes of the SIU's mandate, however, the forensic evidence indicated that the force used by the officers against Mr. Reilly, including the Taser discharge, did not contribute to his death.
Director Scott said, "I am of the opinion that Mr. Reilly was in lawful police custody after being properly arrested on a charge of assault with a weapon. While the subject officers had physical contact with Mr. Reilly after he was placed in a 12 Division cell and made use of a Taser, on the basis of the post-mortem examination, the actions of the subject officers were unrelated to his death. Further, their attempt to subdue him and the use of the Taser were justified under ss. 25(1) of the Criminal Code in circumstances where he needed to be transported to a hospital and was actively non-compliant."
Director Scott added, "Given the circumstances leading to the death of Mr. Reilly, I am of the view that the four subject officers' conduct fell within the limits prescribed by the criminal law. Accordingly, I cannot attach criminal liability to their acts and omissions with respect to this incident."
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates cases of serious injuries (including allegations of sexual assault) and deaths involving the police. Pursuant to section 113 of the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU is mandated to consider whether a criminal offence has been committed by an officer(s) in connection with the incident under investigation and, where warranted by the evidence, to cause a criminal charge or charges to be laid against the officer(s). The Director reports the results of investigations to the Attorney General.
For further information: Monica Hudon, SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES, Telephone/No de telephone: (416) 622-2342 or/ou 1-800-787-8529
Wednesday September 23 2009
By Pam Douglas, Brampton Guardian
Four Peel Regional Police officers have been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in the death of a Brampton man Tasered inside a Mississauga jail cell last fall.
Sean Reilly, 42, died as he fought with officers inside the 12 Division cell on Sept. 17, 2008, according to the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
A mandatory inquest will be held into the incident, and the inquest jury will determine the official cause of death, according to SIU Director Ian Scott. However, “the forensic evidence indicated that the force used by the officers, including the Taser discharge, did not contribute to his death,” the SIU concluded.
“While the subject officers had physical contact with Mr. Reilly after he was placed in a 12 Division cell and made use of a Taser, on the basis of the post-mortem examination, the actions of the subject officers were unrelated to his death,” according to SIU Director Ian Scott.
Reilly was arrested for assault with a weapon at a Mississauga home the night of Sept. 16. He was taken to 12 Division and put in the holding cell, according to the SIU investigation. Thirty minutes later, he was seen on a cell video monitor banging his head on the bars. His forehead was bleeding from the force, and officers went to the cell to tell him they were going to take him to hospital, but he continued to ram his head into the bars, the SIU investigation revealed.
He eventually complied with the officers’ commands to get down on his knees, but when an officer unlocked and entered the cell, he ran at him. Reilly was pinned to the ground by the four subject officers, but the struggle continued, and he was Tasered on the shoulder blade by one of the officers.
He stopped struggling and was handcuffed, but immediately fell into “physical distress” and stopped breathing, according to the SIU investigation.
The officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived, and the medics were able to get Reilly’s heartbeat back, according to the SIU. He was taken to Mississauga General Hospital and never regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead the next day.
Scott concluded the officers’ attempt to subdue him and use the Taser were justified under the Criminal Code of Canada in circumstances where he needed to be taken to the hospital, but was resisting.
A date for an inquest has not yet been set.
February 2, 2009
Joe Fantauzzi, YORKREGION.COM
The province appears to have no plans to hand Tasers to more police officers despite a recommendation to do so by a jury in York Region.
More time and study is needed to delve into the safety of Tasers, a type of conducted energy device, both the governing Liberals and a local member of the opposition Progressive Conservatives said following recommendations Thursday by an inquest jury examining the 2005 death of Jeffrey George Black, 21, who was fatally shot by York Regional Police in Markham.
“With respect to expanding the use of conducted energy devices, at this time, we have no plans to either call a moratorium on Tasers or to extend their use,” said Laura Blondeau, spokesperson for Rick Bartolucci, the minister of community safety and correctional services. “Currently, we are reviewing the use of Tasers in general and that review is expected imminently.”
While recognizing the need for police officers to be adequately armed while performing their duties, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees said there have been many instances that conducted energy device technology has been called into question.
“I believe there is a place for the Taser equipment,” he said. “I have serious concerns about the safety of that equipment. Tasers can kill if they are used under the wrong circumstances and used irresponsibly. I think everyone will agree with me: let us make the thing safe first and then issue the tool.”
The issuing of more Tasers to more officers should not be done until the provincial review is complete, Mr. Klees added.
The three-woman, two-man jury hearing the inquest into Mr. Black’s death recommended Thursday that the province amend laws, that currently restrict the use of conducted energy devices, such as Tasers, so only specialized police units such as tactical officers and supervising road sergeants can use them.
The jury also recommended the province fund police training and refresher courses for the devices and that all York police are permitted to carry Tasers.
The recommendations concluded the inquest, which took place at Aurora Town Hall and began Monday.
The jury followed the recommendations from Mr. Black’s father, Kenneth English.
Mr. English did not attend the hearing Thursday but in an interview with the York Region Media Group said he was happy the jury made recommendations to the province based on his suggestions.
“I am very thankful for that,” he said.
The Ontario government ordered the review of some Tasers to ensure their proper functioning in December, following an investigative report about a specific model of the device. There were concerns it discharged an electrical voltage higher than specified by Taser International, the manufacturer.
However, there has never been a death associated with Taser use by York police, the Black inquest heard.
Several inquest juries in Ontario, before the Black inquest, have made recommendations that front line officers be permitted to carry conducted energy devices.
York police, which permits only its tactical officers to carry the device, has 30 Tasers, Chief Armand La Barge said. Twenty-one Tasers were recently taken out of circulation for inspection but all were found to be in proper working order, he added.
York police want the province to permit front-line officers to carry Tasers, he said.
“We have used the Taser sparingly here,” Chief La Barge said.
“We give a front-line officer a gun and yet we do not seem to trust a front-line officers with a less-than-lethal force (option),” the chief said.
And, the resources, such as training time, needed to equip York supervisors with Tasers would be better directed to front-line officers who are often the first at scenes, Chief La Barge said.
The Black inquest heard Tasers cost $700 a piece and the cartridges used with the devices are $36.
On Oct. 17, 2005 at about 11:45 p.m., two York officers responded to an alarm call on Denison Street in south Markham. The officers spotted a dark van without its lights on as it drove out of the parking lot and accelerated onto Esna Park Drive, according to a case summary released in December 2005 by the province’s Special Investigations Unit.
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates cases of serious injuries and deaths involving police.
When the van reached Esna Park and Alden, it slammed into another van entering the intersection, the SIU said.
Three men got out of the van and ran from the collision scene. One man was arrested and an officer chased Mr. Black, who ran behind an industrial complex, the SIU said.
The officer found Mr. Black in a parking lot, told him he was under arrest and ordered him to show his hands, according to the SIU.
The officer had his gun drawn, but put it away when he discovered Mr. Black was cornered between storage trailers. When the officer moved in, Mr. Black struck and punched the officer in the chest, according to the SIU.
After he was hit several times, the officer realized Mr. Black was armed with a knife and had been stabbing the officer’s bulletproof vest, the SIU said.
As the officer attempted to grasp Mr. Black’s hand, he stabbed the officer on the top of his head, according to the SIU.
Mr. Black then pulled away and “dared the officer to shoot him”, the SIU said. The officer pulled his gun and pepper-sprayed Mr. Black.
While the officer was dealing with Mr. Black, the York police helicopter flew over the scene and a call was put out for more police to respond.
A second officer arrived to find Mr. Black moving toward the injured officer. The officer had his firearm drawn and pointed at Mr. Black. When the injured officer called out that Mr. Black was carrying a knife, Mr. Black lunged toward the second officer, Const. Ryan Lidstone, and brought the knife down in a stabbing motion, according to reports from the scene.
Const. Jason Griffiths fired twice, striking Mr. Black in the abdomen.
Mr. Black died at Scarborough Hospital Grace Campus.
The inquest heard there was no front-line supervisor at the scene when Mr. Black was shot.
A provincial review of police action in connection with Mr. Black’s death found the shooting justified.
Both Const. Griffiths and Const. Lidstone were later recognized for their bravery.
RECENT INQUEST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TASERS:
• 2008: A jury in Brampton recommended the province consider authorizing all front-line police officers to carry a Taser or have access to a Taser, following an inquest into the 2004 death of Jerry Knight, 29, who died while in the custody of Peel Regional Police.
• 2006: A jury in Toronto recommended the province take the necessary steps to ensure all front-line or primary response police officers are authorized to carry a Taser, following an inquest into the 2000 death of Otto Vass, who died from injuries sustained while in the custody of Toronto police.
• 2005: A jury in London recommended the province take whatever steps are necessary to ensure all front-line officers are authorized to carry a Taser, following an inquest into the 2004 death of Peter Lamonday, 33, who died at a London hospital shortly after being arrested by London police.
— source: the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
December 11, 2008
TU THANH HA and CAROLINE ALPHONSO AND IAN BAILEY, Globe and Mail
TORONTO and VANCOUVER — As more police forces withdraw older models of tasers, the controversial stun gun manufacturer is insisting its devices are safe and has offered to help test them.
Police forces in Winnipeg, Newfoundland, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Fredericton and York Region, north of Toronto, are following police agencies in British Columbia and the RCMP in removing pre-2006 taser models for tests. Ontario has ordered tests but no blanket recall of the older models.
The move stemmed from a CBC/Radio-Canada report that found four of 41 tested units discharged more current than the manufacturer said was possible. The tests involved X26 taser models manufactured before Dec. 31, 2005.
Peter Holran, a spokesman for Taser International, dismissed the report as scientifically unsound.
"It is unfortunate that false allegations based on scientifically flawed data can create such uncertainty," he said in a statement. The Arizona-based company said it has provided its factory test protocol to laboratories in Canada "so police agencies can avoid the scientific errors made by the CBC." Mr. Holran said the four stun guns that produced higher electrical currents can be explained by the lack of a spark test before the devices were used, a safety procedure required of all officers using tasers in the field.
A spark test is required because a taser that hasn't been fired for a while needs more voltage to activate, he said.
Yesterday, the Winnipeg Police Service cited the test results as it announced it was removing the X26 models from service. "I think it is a very valuable tool. But given this information with regards to these particular models, we are concerned," said Constable Jason Michalyshen. Tasers became controversial in Winnipeg when 17-year-old Michael Langan died after being tasered during a confrontation with police last summer.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary removed tasers from service on Tuesday. Constable Paul Davis said the RNC is awaiting the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police's policy on tasers.
"We don't know where we're going to go at this point in time as far as testing, replacing, repairing, that type of thing," he said. "That decision will made some time in the future."
The RNC suspended its purchase of stun guns for front-line officers last fall following the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski after a tasering incident at Vancouver International Airport.
In Quebec, Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis has ordered that all tasers manufactured before Dec. 31, 2005, be systematically tested by the provincial crime lab, in addition to random audits on later models.
Vancouver Police have completed an inventory of pre-2006, X26 model tasers. Sixty-three of the 171 tasers in the VPD will be taken out of service for further testing. This follows a request yesterday by Solicitor-General John van Dongen asking municipal police forces around B.C. to recall pre-2006, X26 models from service for further testing. In Ontario, the Ministry of Community Safety has instructed police services to check their X26 models, department spokesman Anthony Brown said yesterday.
York Regional Police Chief Armand La Barge said concerns surrounding tasers purchased prior to 2006 resulted in the force pulling 14 of its 31 tasers from service. "They will be tested before any consideration is given to having them put back into circulation," he said.
"We are looking at having a process in place whereby we would be examining all our tasers on an ongoing basis."
Toronto Police, Canada's largest municipal force, previously replaced its old tasers, and no longer has any that were purchased before 2006.
Other forces say their devices function properly. "We're quite confident our tasers are all in good working order," said Constable Wayne Patterson of the Peel Regional Police. "They are tested regularly each time they are taken out."
October 19, 2008
By MICHELE MANDEL, Toronto Sun
Patrick Quinn is the first to tell you that he's been on the wrong side of the law for too long, feeding a ravenous drug habit with a steady diet of petty crimes.
But approaching his 35th birthday, with a baby on the way and a girlfriend who gave him an ultimatum to get clean or she'd walk, the roofer decided it was finally time to turn a new page.
"It took me longer to grow up and get my act together than most people," he says sheepishly, as his newborn son, Patrick Jr., sleeps in a corner of their new apartment. "I didn't want to lose her or my son."
'LIFE WAS CHANGING'
He is a wiry man with a small beard on his chin and sweat pants that hang on his thin frame, but the former crack addict says he's been clean now for 14 months with the help of addiction counselling. "My life was changing," Quinn insists. "Finally, things were falling together for me."
His past, though, would not let him go.
It was this past Jan. 15, the day before his birthday, when he was pulled over in Mississauga by Peel police. He wasn't surprised when they arrested him -- because of a "miscommunication." He had missed signing in with his probation officer and knew there was a warrant for him.
It's what followed that he claims left him not only in shock but battered, bruised and burned after more than 12 hours of what he alleges was absolute "torture" by four rogue cops in 12 Division who were intent on beating and Tasering him until he was willing to cough up dirt on criminals he used to know.
On Tuesday, Peel Regional Police and dozens of unnamed officers and the Peel Police Services Board were served with a $9-million lawsuit claiming Quinn was beaten and Tasered in the police station and the assault was covered up by others. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
"We did recently receive the claim," confirms Staff Sgt. Taufic Saliba. "The matter is now before the court and we cannot comment."
Quinn knows his tale of police brutality sounds like something out of an American movie. "These cops are on the dirty side," he claims. "I don't want to sound like a New York TV show, but they are bending rules and breaking rules to whatever suits their needs."
According to his statement of claim, Quinn was beaten by three male and one female officer in an interrogation room at 12 Division after he refused to make a deal to swap freedom for information about former acquaintances dealing guns.
It is the same police station where Sean Reilly, 42, was Tasered and later died during a struggle with four officers in the cell area last month.
While he did grow up with "Twinkie," a Caribana shooter doing time for murder, Quinn told the police he didn't know his friends or their criminal activities. Unconvinced, his interrogators began putting on their black gloves and Quinn says he immediately knew what was coming.
He was pummelled until he could hear his ribs cracking, he says, and was left broken on the floor, vomiting and fighting for breath. More than five hours later, he says they finally agreed to take him to hospital.
On his way to Trillium Health Centre, he says he saw a text message on the patrol car's computer to the effect, "Quinn is an idiot if he thinks it's good for him to go to the hospital." He was warned that he was only making it worse for himself.
He says doctors told him there was too much swelling to determine if his ribs were broken. He was prescribed pain and anti-inflammatory drugs as well as medication for his epilepsy, but never received anything from the police.
Still, he thought his night of hell was over. Instead, he says it was just beginning.
He was taken back to the interrogation room where he says the original four officers were waiting. "Cut the lights," one said. And Quinn claims the beating began anew.
"I'm in the corner and they have me semi-circled and there are boots coming at me. I remember being shocked that she was the first one to kick me square in the face," he alleges of the female officer.
Then one pulled out a small Taser, he says.
BURN SCARS
"I lost track after they Tasered me about 10 times," he claims, pointing to burn scars that remain on his arms. "You see blue flashing lights, your knees give out, your ankles give and your marbles go jiggly for a while."
He says he was so swollen and bruised by the time he was remanded to Maplehurst Detention Centre that guards took photographs when he arrived so they couldn't be later accused of assault.
His lawyer, David Shiller, is now in the process of getting those photos as well as hospital and police records from that night which he believes will corroborate Quinn's stunning allegations. Because right now, it's just a former criminal's word against that of a respected police service, something his lawsuit claims they knew was in their favour:
"The officers assaulted and tortured Mr. Quinn thinking that because he was a drug addict and career criminal without any credibility, nobody would believe him."
But he refuses to be intimidated, not when he is turning his life around and building a new family, with a newborn sleeping in a bassinet beside him and his new roofing business in the midst of its biggest contract ever.
"It's the principle of the whole thing," Quinn insists. "The police are not supposed to beat people up to get information out of them. It just wasn't right."
October 10, 2008
Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star
A 35-year-old Mississauga man has filed a $9 million lawsuit against Peel Police Chief Mike Metcalf, the Peel Police Services Board and dozens of officers, including four who are alleged to have beaten and Tasered him inside a police station interrogation room.
Patrick Quinn, an admitted career criminal, claims he was repeatedly kicked, punched and electronically shocked several times by a Taser on Jan.15 and 16 , 2008, because he refused to provide information about guns on the street.
The beatings resulted in several broken ribs, bruising and swelling around his ribs, eyes, jaws, chest and shoulder, as well as Taser burns to his back, arms and face, according to his lawyer David Shiller, who filed the lawsuit earlier this week in Toronto.
All allegations contained in the Statement of Claim must still be proven in court.
Chief Metcalf is out of the country but Deputy Chief Paul Tetzlaff said today that he wasn't aware of the lawsuit, which had yet to be served..
The assaults are alleged to have occurred in the same 12 Division Peel Police station where a Brampton man, who later died, was Tasered during a struggle with four officers in the cell area. Sean Reilly, 42, went into medical distress soon after being shocked last month after being arrested for a weapons offence. He was rushed to Trillium Health Centre where he died about 12 hours later.
The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is still probing that incident to determine whether criminal charges should be laid against any of the involved officers. SIU spokesperson John Yoannou said today they were never involved in the Quinn matter.
Quinn, whose criminal record, includes drugs convictions, is asking for $4.5 million for torture, grievous bodily harm and intentional infliction of mental distress. He's also seeking $2.5 million in punitive damages and $2 million in special damages.
Four Peel officers are alleged to have directly participated in what the lawsuit claims was a "vicious, criminal, pre-meditated" assault in the interrogation room after the videotape recorder had been turned off. It's alleged he was beaten to "instil fear" in him to give information about other criminal activity in Peel that would enhance the careers of the officers.
It's also alleged the officers tortured and assaulted him because they thought nobody would believe his allegations because of his drug-related criminal past.
The claim alleges dozens of other officers, both make and female, as well as senior officers at the division participated in a station-wide cover-up of the incident.
According to the statement, Quinn was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped in Mississauga at Camilla Rd. and Dundas St. on Jan. 15, 2008. He was pulled over because there was a warrant for his arrest for breach of probation and was to be questioned in connection with a break-and-enter. A small quantity of crack cocaine was later found under the passenger seat.
After being handcuffed, it's alleged he was grabbed by the throat by a male officer and thrown against a police cruiser, causing his head to smash into the roof of the vehicle. A female officer is alleged to have grabbed his testicles and penis.
Once at 12 Division, he was allegedly illegally strip-searched and taken to an interrogation room where the beatings occurred after he refused to "make a deal" by providing information about guns. It's alleged he was prohibited from contacting a lawyer despite asking to speak to one several times while in custody.
After being beaten, Quinn claims he asked to be taken to Trillium hospital about five to eight hours after initially asking for medical help.
En route, he claims to have seen a text message sent by another officer that said something to the effect of - "Quinn's an idiot if he thinks going to hospital will do him any good." Quinn claims the driver tried to persuade him not to go to hospital after receiving the message.
It's alleged doctors couldn't take x-rays because his ribs were too swollen but he was prescribed pain medication as well as medication for his epilepsy. He alleges the officers never gave him the medication.
Once back at the police station, it's alleged he was again beaten and Tasered in an interrogation room before being brought to court for his bail hearing.
September 23, 2008
The Brampton Guardian
BRAMPTON - Friday's autopsy on a Brampton man zapped by a Taser in a Peel police station has not revealed any "anatomical" cause of death, the province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has revealed. The pathologist has ordered toxicology tests at the Centre for Forensic Sciences in Toronto to try to determine how Sean Reilly, 42, died.
He went into "medical distress" after being Tasered in the cell area of Mississauga's 12 Division Sept. 16. He was in a struggle with four Peel officers who have now been designated as subject officers in the SIU investigation. A fifth officer has been deemed a witness officer in the incident.
Reilly was jolted with the Taser around 5 p.m. Sept. 16, following his arrest for assault with a weapon at a Mississauga home. He was taken to hospital where he died almost 12 hours later.
Reilly's family members have said, through their lawyer, that they want to know the details surrounding his Tasering and death.
September 22, 2008
Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star
It will now be several weeks before Sean Reilly's family knows why he died nearly 12 hours after being tasered while under arrest.
SIU spokesperson John Yoannou said today an autopsy has failed to find any "anatomical" cause of death of the 42-year-old Brampton man.
"Toxicology tests are now being conducted," Yoannou said.
Essentially, that means the post mortem examination failed to determine the cause of death so further blood tests must now be conducted. These tests usually take between four to six weeks.
Reilly died last Wednesday about 4:45 a.m. at the Trillium Health Centre after being rushed to hospital when he went into medical distress after being tasered the day before at a Mississauga police station.
He was tasered during a struggle with four Peel Police officers at about 5 p.m. in the cell area of 12 Division police station.
Reilly, who was still mourning the recent death of his sister, was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon in connection with an incident at a home on Runningbrook Dr. in Mississauga.
Peel Police are prohibited from discussing the case because of the SIU investigation but a police source told The Star the weapon involved a knife.
Four Peel officers are now being probed by the SIU. Investigators are determining whether criminal charges are warranted against the officers. A fifth officer has been designated a witness to the struggle.
Reilly, who was single and worked as a carpenter, has been described as a "non-violent" and "friendly man" by relatives and friends.
Ian Smith, a lawyer for the Reilly family, said they're co-operating with the SIU and are anxious to "find the truth" as to what happened.
Although no details about the incident - and what led to the tasering - are being released, a police source told The Star that officers went to a home on Runningbrook Dr. in Mississauga just before 4 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from a motorist about a suspected impaired driver.
When police arrived, Reilly was standing outside of his vehicle with another man.
Reilly was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon and placed into the back seat of a cruiser.
In addition to losing his sister to sleep apnea about two weeks ago, Reilly's father died in 1992, a loss he never got to over, according to relatives. They say he also hadn't been sleeping well since the death of his sister.
Editorial
The Brampton Guardian
September 19 2008
BRAMPTON - It's been said before but we'll say it again- maybe it's time we take a closer look at the police use of Tasers. A Brampton man died in hospital Wednesday morning, 12 hours after being hit by a Taser in a struggle with police in a Mississauga police station.
The SIU is now investigating just how Sean Reilly, 42, died.
In Canada there have been at least 21 Taser-related deaths, yet police maintain the devices are a safe alternative to lethal force.
However, if you look at the ages of many of the Taser victims- they are surprisingly young in their 30s and 40s- and one would assume in good health. How many 30 and 40 year olds do you know who just drop dead? Tasers appear to be pretty lethal to us.
One study found Tasers caused cardiac arrests in pigs but another police association study done in 2000 said the devices are safe.
Somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
The police use the fancy term excited delirium to describe Taser deaths, but even psychologists say the condition is rare and controversial. A person with excited delirium acts agitated, violent, sweats a lot and is unusually strong and insensitive to pain. Then, the victim's heart races and eventually stops beating.
The jury may still be out on Tasers, but until there is evidence that the devices are not killing people needlessly, they should be holstered. At the very least, Tasers should not be used as a standard weapon to enforce compliance without the threat of serious injury or death of the subject, a member of the public or a law enforcement officer.
When pepper spray or four burly cops will do, leave the Taser in its holster.
September 20, 2008
Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star
Investigators probing this week's in-custody Tasering death of a Brampton man know why Sean Reilly died but for now they're holding back details.
Ian Smith, a lawyer acting for the Reilly family, told the Star today they've only been given a "brief report" and certainly "nothing definitive" about why Reilly, 42, died early Wednesday morning at Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga.
Reilly, who was still mourning the recent death of his sister, was arrested about 4 p.m. the day before but was Tasered during a struggle with four Peel Police officers at12 Division police station soon after arriving at about 5 p.m. He died on Wednesday about 4:45 a.m.
The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the deadly incident and will determine if criminal charges are warranted against the four officers.
Reilly, who was single and worked as a carpenter and has been described as a "non-violent" and "friendly man" by relatives and friends.
A post mortem was conducted Friday, SIU spokesperson John Yoannou said.
"The investigation is ongoing with officer interviews being conducted over the weekend," Yoannou said yesterday.
Although not unheard of, it's rare for the SIU not to release results of an autopsy once the post mortem examination is completed.
Events leading up to Reilly's Tasering remain uncertain. The investigation is centring on what the four officers named as subjects did during the frantic moments of the Tasering. Another Peel officer has been named as a witness to the incident, which one police source said started in the sally port (garage entrance) to the police station located at Dixie Rd. and Eglinton Ave. in Mississauga.
Peel Police are prohibited from speaking about any incident being probed by the SIU.
In a statement released late Friday afternoon by Smith, he said the family was co-operating with the SIU and were anxious to find "the truth" as to what happened.
"The Reilly family is very concerned to find out exactly how Sean came to his death," Smith said,. "They are concerned about Sean's treatment while he was in the custody of the Peel Police, and in particular, they are concerned that Sean was subjected to electric shock by a Taser stun gun.
"They are eager to know all of the circumstances surrounding the decision to use such force. Like many other Canadians, the Reilly family wonders why Canadian police forces persist in the use of such a dangerous device."
Although no details about the incident - and what led to the Tasering - are being released, a police source told te Star that officers went to a home on Runningbrook Dr. in Mississauga just before 4 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from a motorist about a suspected impaired driver. When police arrived, Reilly was standing outside of his vehicle with another man. Reilly was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon and placed into the back seat of a cruiser.
In addition to losing his sister to sleep apnea about two weeks ago, Reilly's father died in 1992, a loss he never got over, according to his uncle Bernie Reilly, who told the Mississauga News this week that his nephew possibly was carrying his late father's knife when the incident occurred. "It was his Dad's Korean War knife and he "simply carried it to be close to his Dad, whom he deeply loved and missed," he said. He said his nephew hadn't been sleeping well since the death of his sister.
Yoannou said he has no information about the knife, including whether it played any role in what happened.
September 19, 2008
Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star
A Brampton man who died about 12 hours after being Tasered by police was mourning the death of his sister, friends say.
Sean Reilly's sister died about two weeks ago from sleep apnea.
"His sister's funeral was just over a week ago," said a family friend, who contacted the Star after learning of his death. "He was very close to her ... I know he was having a very hard time with her death."
The carpenter, who was single, was rushed to hospital after being Tasered during a struggle with four Peel officers at the 12 Division police station at about 5 p.m. Tuesday.
He died about 4:45 a.m. at Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga.
After spending two days in seclusion, Reilly's family issued their first public statement through their lawyer yesterday.
"Sean Reilly was a much loved son, brother and uncle," it began. "He was a gentle and non-violent man who was well-liked by all who knew him. He was funny, compassionate and quietly sensitive. He was artistic and skilled with his hands and was a reliable contractor. His family misses him terribly."
The 42-year-old was fit, but not a big man and had no known health issues, it continued.
"The Reilly family is very concerned to find out exactly how Sean came to his death. They are concerned about Sean's treatment while he was in the custody of the Peel Regional Police and, in particular, they are concerned that Sean was subjected to electric shock by a Taser stun gun," it said.
The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is now probing the incident to see whether criminal charges are warranted. Until their investigation is completed, no information about what happened will be released officially.
But a police source has told the Star that officers went to a home on Runningbrook Dr. in Mississauga just before 4 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving a call about a suspected impaired driver.
September 18, 2008
JOSH WINGROVE, Globe and Mail
TORONTO — A 42-year-old Brampton, Ont., man died yesterday morning after he was tasered during a struggle with four Peel regional police officers while in custody the night before.
Peel police arrested Sean Reilly at a home in Mississauga around 5 p.m. Tuesday, charging him with assault with a weapon. He was taken to Peel's 12 Division station, where a "struggle" ensued in a cell, according to a statement by the province's Special Investigations Unit, which is now involved in the case.
Before being shocked with a taser, Mr. Reilly struggled against four officers, while a fifth looked on, the statement said. He then went into "medical distress" and was taken to Trillium Hospital, where he died at 4:45 a.m. yesterday, the statement said. No cause of death has been determined.
As is common with SIU investigations, Peel police have reserved comment, saying only that the SIU was investigating an "incident."
Mr. Reilly's death follows that of Robert Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant who died after being tasered in Vancouver International Airport last October; and of Michael Langan, 17, tasered and killed in Winnipeg last July.
Mr. Reilly is the 23rd person in Canada to die after being tasered. His family refused to comment last night.
A federal review on the use of tasers is ongoing, as well as several provincial reviews, including ones in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Ontario regulates use of the devices, and won't approve any request for new tasers until its own review, which began in February, is completed some time this winter.
"Ontario will continue to take a measured approach on the use of tasers. Any decision on expansion will be withheld," said Anthony Brown, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
Currently, only tactical officers and police supervisors are permitted to carry a taser in Ontario. Police must submit a use-of-force report to the province every time they use the device. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, however, has been pushing for any officer to be equipped with them.
"We believe that they are safe devices for use by police services," said Joe Couto, the association's director of communications, adding: "It's a little bit easy to blame the device, without knowing all of the other factors involved ... "
The manufacturer, Taser International, said yesterday its product is "among the safer use-of-force alternatives," citing various studies that support its claim. "We believe that taser technology protects life and we are prepared to help in the investigation of this unfortunate incident if asked," spokesman Steve Tuttle said in an e-mail.
An earlier, nationwide taser report delivered to the RCMP in June, commissioned after Mr. Dziekanski's death, said the Mounties did not perform "due diligence" in approving the use of the devices. It also said national standards, increased resources and co-ordination are needed to train officers to use tasers safely.
Former RCMP head Giuliano Zaccardelli said this month he believes police forces should stop using the devices.
A new, in-depth federal report on taser use, currently being compiled by the Canadian Police Research Centre, is due out next year.
September 18, 2008
Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star
In less than a week, Peel police have twice used Tasers to subdue people – once with fatal results, and the other time on one of their fellow officers.
Yesterday, 42-year-old Sean Reilly of Brampton died several hours after being Tasered during a struggle in a cell at a Peel police station. He had earlier been charged with assault with a weapon.
On Friday, Peel officers Tasered Const. Jason Ross, 35, who was being investigated for impaired driving. He is facing three counts of assaulting police, one count of assault causing bodily harm, excess blood alcohol, impaired operation of a motor vehicle and mischief.
In yesterday's incident, Reilly went into medical distress and was rushed to Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga, where he died at 4:45 a.m.
The province's Special Investigations Unit is probing the in-custody death and has named four officers as subjects of their investigation.
SIU spokesperson John Yoannou said Reilly was arrested about 5 p.m. on Tuesday and charged with assault with a weapon.
A police source told the Star that a 911 call was initially made by a motorist who was following a suspected impaired driver.
Police arrived at a residence on Runningbrook Dr. just before 4 p.m. where it's alleged an assault occurred on another man, according to the source. Reilly was outside his vehicle when police arrived, the source said.
Yoannou confirmed Reilly was arrested at the Mississauga residence but wasn't able to provide any other details about the ongoing investigation.
What happened next remains the focus of the SIU probe.
A police source said Reilly struggled with several officers after getting out of a police cruiser at the 12 Division station at Eglinton Ave. and Dixie Rd. in Mississauga.
After being booked, Reilly was taken to the cells where a struggle occurred involving several officers, Yoannou said.
"During a struggle in the cell area, a Taser was used to subdue him," Yoannou said. "Mr. Reilly went into medical distress and was taken to hospital where he died."
An autopsy is scheduled for later today.
With the SIU having taken over the case, Peel police now are prohibited from releasing any details.
Reilly, who was single, worked as a carpenter, a friend said, adding his sister recently died of sleep apnea.
The SIU will now determine whether any criminal charges are warranted.
Prior to Friday's Taser incident, Const. Ross who lives in Georgetown and who has been with the Peel force for eight years, was already under suspension without pay in connection with an unrelated assault charge.
September 17 2008
By PAM DOUGLAS, The Brampton Guardian
BRAMPTON - A Brampton man died in hospital Wednesday morning, 12 hours after being hit by a Taser in a struggle with police in a Mississauga police station.
An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday to determine how Sean Reilly, 42, died.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is investigating the incident. Reilly was arrested on a charge of assault with a weapon at a Mississauga home Tuesday and taken to 12 Division on Dixie Road at Dundas Street. At 5 p.m. he became involved in a struggle with Peel police officers who were attempting to put him into a jail cell.
He was stunned with a Taser and went into “medical distress”, according to SIU spokesperson John Yoannou. Reilly was taken to hospital and admitted. He died at 4:45 a.m. the next day. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
The SIU has designated four subject officers and one witness officer.
In Peel, only supervisors are armed with Tasers. In 2006, Peel officers used Tasers 56 times, with no deaths reported.
Earlier this year, an inquest jury looking into the death of amateur boxer and Brampton resident Jerry Knight — who was hit by a Taser during a violent struggle in the lobby of a Mississauga motel in 2004 — recommended that Tasers be issued to all police officers. The coroner in that case concluded Knight’s death was not caused by the use of a Taser.
More recently, a Taser was used to subdue a double murder suspect who was attempting to kill himself in the parking lot of a McLaughlin Road strip plaza this past April. In that case, the SIU ruled that the use of the Taser saved Dwayne Palmer’s life. He is now facing two second-degree murder charges in the brutal stabbing deaths of Rahimullah Shahghasy, 53, and his wife Nazifa, 52.
However, the frequency of use of Tasers by RCMP officers and their affect has been discussed recently and is now the subject of two public inquiries in British Columbia, both probing the death of a Polish man at a Vancouver airport.
September 17, 2008
680News
A Brampton man died in hospital, Wednesday, 12 hours after being tasered in a struggle with Peel police at a Mississauga police station. The province's Special Investigations Unit has been called in to investigate, which is the case whenever there is death or injury during a police investigation. A spokesman with the SIU says Sean Reilly, 42, was stunned with a taser and went into medical distress at around 5 p.m., Tuesday. He was under arrest on a charge of assault with a weapon.
TORONTO, Sept. 17 /CNW/ - The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the death of a Brampton man, who died September 17, 2008 while in the custody of Peel Regional Police.
On September 16, 2008, 42-year-old Sean Reilly was arrested at a residence in Mississauga on a charge of assault with a weapon and taken to Number 12 Division on Dixie Road at approximately 5 p.m. During a struggle in the cell area, a Taser was used to subdue him. Mr. Reilly went into medical distress and was taken to the Trillium Health Centre where he died at approximately 4:45 a.m. today. A post-mortem to determine the cause of death has not yet been scheduled.
The SIU has designated four subject officers and one witness officer as part of its investigation.
The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates cases of serious injuries (including allegations of sexual assault) and deaths involving the police. Pursuant to section 113 of the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU is mandated to consider whether a criminal offence has been committed by an officer(s) in connection with the incident under investigation and, where warranted by the evidence, to cause a criminal charge or charges to be laid against the officer(s). The Director reports the results of investigations to the Attorney General.
For further information: John Yoannou, SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES Telephone/No de telephone: (416) 622-2342 or/ou 1-800-787-8529; For general information about the SIU, please visit our website at www.siu.on.ca
June 13, 2008
Jordana Huber , Canwest News Service
Brampton, Ont. - Jurors at an Ontario coroner's inquest into the death of a 29-year-old man in police custody recommended Friday the provincial government consider authorizing all front-line officers either to carry or have access to a Taser.
Jerry Knight, a former amateur boxer, died in the summer of 2004 less than 30 minutes after police were called to a Mississauga motel lobby by a clerk reporting an unruly guest.
High on cocaine and acting erratically, officers used pepper spray and eventually a Taser to try and subdue Knight who died after loosing consciousness while lying on his stomach, hog-tied in handcuffs.
The five-person jury ruled Knight's death a homicide - a finding of fact rather than guilt, as coroner's inquests do not assign blame.
Knight died of restraint asphyxia with cocaine related "excited delirium," according to a coroner's report.
A highly controversial term, excited delirium is not recognized by the American Medical Association but has been listed by coroners as a cause of death in people restrained by police during an altercation - whether or not a Taser is used.
Associated with individuals who have taken drugs, alcohol or have a mental illness, it can trigger agitation, super-human strength and can lead to sudden death according to experts who testified during the two-week inquest.
Ron Ellis, a lawyer for Knight's family, said using a Taser to immediately subdue the 29-year-old may have prevented the ensuing melee that involved more than 20 officers.
Tasers are only carried in Ontario by police sergeants and emergency task force officers under current provincial legislation.
A spokeswoman for the province's minister of community safety and correctional services said there are no plans to amend the current rules to allow front-line officers to carry Tasers.
The jury recommended police reinforce through training the risk of death associated with hog-tying restraints which experts testified makes it difficult for a subject's diaphragm to move when they are lying on the ground.
They also recommended officers be trained to recognize the risk of death associated excited delirium and a dispatch code be created to alert officers and paramedics they are dealing with a suspected case.
Coroners' inquests in B.C. and Ontario have previously recommended Tasers for all officers as a non-lethal option to rapidly defuse volatile situations.
But critics charge research is still out on whether they are safe.
The debate was brought to the fore last fall when Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski died at Vancouver International Airport following an encounter with RCMP who used a Taser on him.
Several probes into the use of Tasers were launched following the incident, captured on video, including a coroner's inquest currently underway.
Paul Kennedy, chair of The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP is also expected to make public his final report on Tasers next week after delaying its release Thursday.
In an interim report released in December, Kennedy called on Mounties to immediately restrict - but not suspend - the use of Tasers citing concerns they were increasingly being deployed in situations where individuals were not being actively resistant or combative.
June 13, 2008
Michael Pollanen, MD, Pathologist
Laura Gorczynski, CFS, Toxicologist
Chris Lawrence, Ontario Police College, Team Leader
Melissa Lee, Paramedic, Peel EMS
Chung Cho, Civilian
Christopher Pancras, Civilian
Joey Rego, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
Jamie Zohr, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
Peter Cleary, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
Amy Viaene, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
Lisa Rumley, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
Paul Noonan, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
Graham Kolle, Constable, Peel Regional Police Service
We the Jury in the Jerry Knight inquest wish to recommend the following:
To the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services-Policing Services Division (MCSCS):
1. To provide hand restraint devices to all Tactical, Supervising and frontline Officers which allow the subject to be restrained with the hands of the subject to the side of the hips.
To the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care – Emergency Health Services Branch (MHLTC-EHSB) and to the MCSCS:
2. To reinforce and identify through regular and refresher training, the risk of death associated with Excited Delirium.
To the MCSCS and the Ontario Police College (OPC):
3. To create a dispatch code, or call, to announce that officers are dealing with a subject whom they suspect is suffering from Excited Delirium and that EMS dispatch be notified.
4. To reinforce, through regular and refresher training, the risk of death associated with the use of prone restraint and the Hog-tying restraint.
5. To encourage increased research and training in Excited Delirium and restraint; including, the advisability of using the Taser in drive stun mode and pepper spray.
6. To encourage all police services currently using Tasers to update their Taser technology.
7. To reinforce, through regular and refresher training, the risk of death associated with the use of neck restraint techniques.
8. To encourage the development of better forms of leg restraints and have all Police vehicles equipped with such devices. ie: flexicuffs
9. To encourage the development of a coordinated approach to rapidly restrain non-compliant subjects. ie: starfish technique.
10. If possible, when multiple Officers are dispatched, the more experienced Officers should take the lead role in dealing with the situation. The senior Officer in charge, or designate, should be responsible for communicating with Officers newly arriving to the scene as to the status of the situation and remain on scene for the full duration.
11. Development of alternate standardized procedures to replace hog-tying and once these procedures are in place, hog-tying be banned altogether.
12. Development of procedures and policies for Police Officers to communicate to the subject during a violent struggle, to include instructions of a potentially hazardous or fatal outcome if resistance continues.
To All Local Governments:
13. To encourage development of a protocol whereby Advanced Paramedics and/or Tactical Paramedics would attend during cases involving excited and non-compliant subjects.
To the MCSCS:
14. To consider authorizing all front line Police Officers to carry a Taser or have access to a Taser.
To the National Research Council and the Ontario Government:
15. Encourage funding for continued research into sudden death that may occur in police custody.
See the archived map for the period February 2009 to February 2010 here.
