On Thursday July 16, 2015, Toronto Black Lives Matter demonstrators crashed the Toronto Police Services Board meeting.
They demanded answers into the shooting death of Andrew Loku.
Around a dozen demonstrators joined together to read off a list of demands that also included a public apology from both Mayor John Tory and Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders. They also wanted the release of information into the dealth of Loku.
Toronto resident, Andrew Loku, was shot to death by Toronto police during a July 5, Toronto, confrontation in his apartment building.
Loku, who was 45 years old at the time, was living in North-West Toronto in housing subsidized by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Witnesses at the time state they saw Loku holding a hammer. This was not a good enough of a reason for Black Lives Matter Toronto demonstrators who demanded to know when Justice Frank Iacobucci’s report would be implemented by the Toronto Police Service.
The eighty-four recommendations from that report – drafted after the shooting death of Sammy Yatim by the Toronto police in 2013 and was released last year.
His report titled “Police Encounters with People in Crisis,” called for no more deaths at the hands of Toronto police, including controversial suggestions such as increasing the use of conducted energy weapons/Tasers, and the introduction of body-worn cameras for officers. A pilot project of police wearing body cameras is currently taking place.
The pilot project is underway involving about 100 cameras and 90 officers in 55 and 43 Divisions, and on one TAVIS team and a traffic services motor squad and will run until next March.
Support rabble today!
We’re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year.
rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today.
Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet.
Become a rabble rouser — donate to rabble.ca today.
Nick Seebruch, editor
