Muslim Council of Peel Mourns Tragic Death and Calls For Inquiry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE::

Today, June 21, 2020, the Muslim Council of Peel will be holding a press conference at 3425 Morning Star Road, Mississauga today at 2pm to demand for a public inquiry into the killing of Ejaz Choudry at the hands of Peel Regional Police. Present will be acting MCP President Ibrahim Hindy and members of Mr. Choudry’s family.

A disproportionate number of racialized individuals including Black, Indigenous and Muslim are the victims of police shootings across Canada and right here in Peel Region.

The Muslim Council of Peel calls for an immediate review of the use of force particularly during mental health calls, demands an independent inquiry outside the role of the Special Investigations Unit ( SIU) and wants race-based demographic data on police shootings made public.

A 62 year-old man with schizophrenia was shot and killed by police yesterday. The family called police after a father of four had barricaded himself in his apartment. When he stopped responding to them, the tactical team entered the apartment. The result was the death of a mentally ill man.

“Given the video evidence and the testimony of family members, Peel Police’s conduct in this matter was clearly excessive and requires nothing short of an independent inquiry unconnected to the SIU,” said imam Ibrahim Hindy, Acting President of Muslim Council of Peel.

“It is very difficult for families to call anyone for help, especially the police, in such incidents. I am heartbroken for the family,” states Rabia Khedr, Executive Director of MCP and CEO of DEEN Support Services. “Police are trained to catch criminals and shoot to kill. Regardless of all the mental health training they receive, they should never be the first responders in such incidents. We have to invest in crisis intervention services with the right expertise and protocols to manage someone in mental distress.”

Contact:

Rabia Khedr, MCP Executive Director

647-760-9541

executivedirector@mcpeel.ca