A man who died in police custody this weekend in North York was Tasered by a lone officer, but the weapon failed to subdue him, the Star has learned.
The officer, first to respond to a reported disturbance at a home near Keele Street and Finch Avenue West on Sunday, found the man, according to a source not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
Police have previously said the man was armed with a knife.
The Taser appeared to have little immediate effect, and the two became involved in a physical struggle before other officers arrived, the source told the Star.
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The man was eventually handcuffed and then went into “medical distress,” according to the provincial police watchdog, which is now investigating the incident.
The man died at the scene. He has not been identified.
Police officers began CPR before fire and EMS crews arrived.
Unable to revive him, the source said emergency crews gave the man naloxone — a life-saving drug that can help reverse opioid overdoses. It is not clear if the man was under the influence of drugs at the time.
A cause of death has not been determined, and a post-mortem examination is pending.
The source said a knife was located at the scene. The man was out on bail and prohibited from possessing any weapons at the time of the altercation, the source added.
Few details have been released by the Special Investigations Unit as it carries out the beginning phase of its investigation, which typically involves identifying how many and which officers were involved in or witnessed the incident, as well as reviewing video evidence and conducting interviews.
Clayton Campbell, president of the º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøPolice Association, which represents uniformed officers, said on 640 Radio on Monday that he was restricted in what he could say during the investigation but spoke about the use of force.
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“Tasers are used often in the city when really the only alternative would have been to use your firearm,” Campbell said. “It’s a really effective tool, it can de-escalate situations where someone has a weapon and … they don’t want to be Tased.”Â
He continued “When people are dealing with the police in these situations, often they’re high on drugs, they’re in a state of frenzy, and there could be lots of reasons this person has died.”
The TPA tweeted Monday evening that the call came in as a break and enter in progress, and that it was reported that a man was armed with a knife, but did not provide further details now that the SIU has taken over the investigation.
It’s not currently known who called 911.
Jennifer Pagliaro is a Toronto-based crime reporter for the
Star. Follow her on Twitter: .
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