Inquest begins into shooting death of eastern Ontario man at OPP detatchment
An inquest into the death of a man fatally shot by police outside an eastern Ontario OPP detachment in December 2017 started Wednesday.
Babak Saidi was at the Morrisburg detachment on Dec. 23, 2017 for a mandatory check-in related to a previous charge before the incident started.
His sister says the 43-year-old suffered with mental illness.
“The legal system at this time does not have the proper tools on how to deal with mental illness,” said Elly Saidi.
During the inquest, counsel described the moments leading up to Saidi’s death.
“Saidi was advised he was being arrested. He attempted to leave the detachment and OPP officers tried to prevent him from leaving,” said Prabhu Rajan, the inquest counsel. “A physical struggle ensued and one OPP officer fired his gun five times, three shots of which led to his death.”
Elly says her brother’s death left the close-knit family with a gaping hole.
“Babak had a very present presence in our life. He was a beloved son, father, uncle, and friend,” she said.
Surveillance video from the OPP detachment was played during the inquest. It showed part of the altercation between Saidi and two officers before the shooting.
“My understanding is that the officers felt that their lives were at risk,” said Rajan.
“They escalated their reaction to that physical altercation, which culminated in the discharge of a firearm.”
Ontario’s police watchdog investigated the shooting and, in February 2019, decided to lay no charges against the OPP officer.
“What can we learn moving forward for public safety and public awareness so the next time there is a person dealing with mental health illness and police is involved, what can be done differently?” said Elly Saidi. “When is it good to use force and when is it good to withdraw force?”
A lawyer for the OPP declined an interview with CTV News.
The eight-day inquest will include testimony from a dozen witnesses.
“It’s also to try to make changes, if there are improvements, so that something like this doesn’t happen again in the future,” said Rajan.
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