Neighbours say Burlington home at centre of SIU investigation had domestic disturbances ‘for years'
Toronto Watch
John Musselman has the details on the SIU's investigation after police found a man dead and a second man who later died of a self-inflicted wound.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
12 minutes ago
- Global News
Ontario's police watchdog clears officers in fatal shooting of Hamilton man
The province's police watchdog has cleared Hamilton police officers of wrongdoing in connection with the fatal shooting of Erixon Kabera on Nov. 9, 2024. Officers were dispatched to an apartment building on Main Street West in Hamilton at around 5 p.m. that day, after a resident told police they had been threatened by a man, according to the Special Investigation Unit's report. The SIU report says that after officers arrived, a man pointed a replica firearm at them as he walked towards them. Two officers opened fire on him, shooting as many as 24 bullets in his direction as his approach continued, according to the report. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy After being hit a number of times, the man was taken to an area hospital by paramedics and was pronounced dead shortly before 1 a.m. the following day. Story continues below advertisement The SIU was then called in to investigate the matter. In the report, SIU director Joseph Martino said there were 'no reasonable grounds' to lay charges against the officers in connection with the shooting, noting that they used 'reasonable force.' 'The officers honestly believed they were looking at an actual gun in the Complainant's possession. Though mistaken, their misapprehension was a reasonable one. The object looked like a gun, the Complainant brandished it as a gun,' Martino wrote. The man's family identified him as Kabera, a father of three, who they said dedicated his life to his family and community. There was some confusion surrounding the incident as the SIU initially reported that there was an exchange of gunfire but later announced it had found a replica firearm at the scene. One of the officers told SIU investigators he believed the man had been the first to open fire, but it appears he mistook the other officer's initial gunfire for shots coming from the man, Martino wrote, describing it as 'an honest but mistaken belief in the highly charged atmosphere that prevailed.' The SIU is an independent agency that investigates incidents involving police that have resulted in death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. — with files from The Canadian Press
CTV News
15 minutes ago
- CTV News
Montreal increasing police, intervention worker presence downtown this summer
An officer from the SPVM gets out of his patrol car in Montreal on October 8, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi) The City of Montreal announced it will increase the presence of patrol officers, EMMIS intervention workers and its 'cohabitation team' in the downtown area this summer. In a news release, the city said it wants the population to feel safer and is deploying 'more resources than last year,' including private security, to 'address the needs and concerns of all parties involved.' This includes 'the local population, tourists, business owners and employees in the city centre.' About 30 more Montreal police (SPVM) officers are slated to patrol the Ville-Marie, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Sud-Ouest boroughs, including members of the ECLIPSE violent crime division. The city stated that it has also invested $1 million in new 'social cohabitation teams' for busy areas of the Ville-Marie borough, which will comprise 13 social workers working 450 hours per week. They will 'add a more in-depth level of intervention to the work being done by EMMIS workers,' the city said. Officials said the workers come from organizations like l'Anonyme, l'Itinéraire and the Société de developpement social de Ville-Marie. The city increases its police presence downtown every year, Mayor Valérie Plante explained. 'We know that the summer months are a challenge,' she said. 'This summer, we are more committed than ever to mobilizing all our skills and resources to go even further … Every effort is being made to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy the summer in a vibrant, clean and safe city centre.' However, some community organizations question why they weren't included in the city's strategy. 'Contest of rights' David Chapman, executive director of Resilience Montreal, said he understands that increasing police may help some feel safer and reduce unnecessary 911 calls. However, he added the $1 million spent on brigades trained by the SPVM would be better put to organizations that have a rapport with the unhoused in the area. He also said there is a big difference between the public's perceived sense of safety and actual risk. 'For example, we may read in the media about a stabbing at the Atwater Metro, and often these reports don't include very important details, like the stabbing was between two drug sellers who are competing for, sort of, the crack trade in the area … The general public just reads 'Stabbing at Atwater Metro,' and they conclude, 'Well, I better not go anywhere near Atwater Metro because clearly it's unsafe for me to be there,'' Chapman said. 'But for everyone else … you are not at risk.' He emphasized that the workers at Resilience are trained in de-escalating conflict and are familiar with the people in the area. He added that vulnerable people are increasingly criminalized. Chapman said he once saw someone call the police out of concern for a man sleeping on the sidewalk near Resilience Montreal, who ended up in the backseat of a cruiser. 'Housed citizens will say, 'I have a right to health and life, a certain quality of life, and this right is at risk.' And the homeless will say … 'I too, have a right to this sidewalk, and I have a right to be here.' So then, what often happens is it just sort of degenerates into a contest of rights, which is not productive,' he said. 'The best way for this security and for a sense of public safety is actually if community organizations themselves are funded to hire people who can de-escalate.' 'Not only new police officers' Robert Beaudry, responsible for homelessness with Montreal's executive committee, said the homeless population has increased everywhere in Quebec, and the city wants to have a balanced response. He stressed that the increased patrol and private security officers should have 'eyes and ears for criminality, not homelessness.' 'It's not only having new police officers or private security, it's as well having more social workers,' he told CTV News. 'We, as well, offer opportunity of reinsertion for people who are in vulnerable situations.' He said the new brigade is made up of people who are already involved in the borough and know the needs of those in the streets. The Ville-Marie borough is spending some $30 million on cleanliness year-round, a $4 million increase from last year, according to the city. With files from CTV News' Maria Sarrouh.
CTV News
21 minutes ago
- CTV News
Vancouver police install Downtown Eastside safety cameras in bid to curb crime
Security cameras to improve safety have been installed in the Downtown Eastside by the Vancouver police. Police in Vancouver are ramping up safety measures with the installation of new surveillance cameras in the Downtown Eastside. Eight cameras have been installed in the area, with four at the intersection of Main and East Hastings streets, and four at the intersection of Carrall and East Hastings streets, the Vancouver Police Department said in a release issued Friday. 'We continue to drive down crime and drive out predators through proactive, assertive, and targeted enforcement against violent criminals and prolific offenders who operate in the Downtown Eastside,' said Deputy Chief Howard Chow in the statement. 'Despite significant progress, there's still ongoing and imminent risk to residents and police officers. Now is not the time to let up.' They will replace two public safety trailers that were installed after a spate of concerning incidents in April, among them a knife attack on a VPD officer, an incident in which two officers had their uniforms set on fire, and a fatal assault on a 92-year-old man. 'Residents, business owners, and community advocates tell us they're still concerned about the level of violence in the Downtown Eastside, where gangs and violent criminals are endangering the community,' said Chow. 'We've spoken to more than a dozen organizations, residents and advocates about this initiative, and we're confident it has widespread community support.' According to the VPD, the Downtown Eastside accounts for 30 per cent of all violent crime in Vancouver despite representing just three per cent of the city's population and two per cent of its geographical area. The areas around the intersections where the new cameras have been installed have the highest crime rates in the entire city, with 225 violent crimes – including 14 robberies, 115 assaults and one homicide – taking place within a one-block radius of the camera locations so far in 2025.
