Today the Jury returned its Verdict and Recommendations after nearly three weeks of evidence and submissions by parties including those in the public interest like my client, The Empowerment Council and BADC, the Black Action Defence Committee, powerfully represented by my colleagues Rick Frank and Demar Hewitt.

Here is a link to the Empowerment Council’s Press Release in relation to this Inquest;

Here is a link to the Jury’s Verdict and Recommendations:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UqNCiRjCTw_7y-fxpyHo_PpDrBd7DjwG/view?usp=sharing

Some incredibly compelling, bold and innovative recommendations, which are nonetheless thoughtful, practical and reasonable. Highlighting just a few of 35 such recommendations, 24 of which are directed at “All Ontario Police Services”:

EKAMBA INQUEST JURY RECOMMENDATION #9 TO ALL ONTARIO POLICE SERVICES 9.Develop and implement a pilot project to explore the feasibility of dispatching crisis support workers to mental health service calls that do not require police involvement…..

EKAMBA JURY REC #25 To the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Peel Regional Police Service There must be special recognition of the unique challenges Black people who also have serious mental health issues face when they come into contact with police. This unique intersection of Blackness and lived experience of MH issues must be specifically addressed in any training on Use of Force, de-escalation, and police interaction with such persons.

EKAMBA INQUEST JURY REC #26 — TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO

26. Commission a study to examine the creation and implementation of a province-wide, civilian-led crisis intervention system to respond to persons in crisis, including mental health crisis. This team should be staffed by trained mental health professionals, crisis intervention professionals, and persons with lived experience.

The Empowerment Council has released this Statement:

June 3, 2022

– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

Press Release

New and Better Responses to Mental Health Crises

The Empowerment Council is a peer advocacy organization representing people with mental health and addiction issues – the only organization of its kind with standing at most inquests in Ontario involving people in crisis killed by police.

There were missed opportunities for Marc Ekamba to have had a different outcome to his rising mental health crisis. Police should have recognized and responded to obvious mental health problems in this Black family, and properly informed neighbours of their options; his housing provider could have made a referral based on numerous complaints; a broad public awareness campaign could have informed people of their options in case of a mental health crisis arising for themselves, their loved ones, or their neighbours.

“It is better today, but not good enough.” Jennifer Chambers, Executive Director of the Empowerment Council states “Peel needs a community based mobile crisis service that is independent of police. In fact the entire Province needs an alternative to police. People need a crisis service that they are not afraid to call. The Black community in particular has had good reason to fear police. People in crisis want help that will not include a threat of force.”

But there will still be mental health calls that involve police. So ALL Peel police and students at the Ontario Police College need adequate trauma informed mental health and antibias training. Use of force incidents must be analyzed by race and whether a person was in crisis, and the results included in police education. All training must be evaluated for its effectiveness on the job. And because you can forget training but can’t unmeet a person, all mental health training must include skilled trainers from peer run organizations, who can advise on what escalates and de-escalates crises.

Peel Police can only benefit from forming standing committees on mental health and race and impartial policing, where representatives of peer-run organizations and members of affected communities can discuss concerns and seek solutions.

Anita Szigeti, legal counsel for the Empowerment Council at the inquest states: “All front line officers need continuous education, training and evaluation of their interactions especially with Black people in crisis. This will save lives in future.”

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Jennifer Chambers Empowerment Council Executive Director: jchambers.EC@gmail.com  

Anita Szigeti legal counsel for EC: anita@asabarristers.com

Here is a link to the article highlighting some of the recommendations in the Toronto Star June 7 2022

For a greater understanding of the entire Inquest, the Coroner’s Verdict and Explanation was released on August 11, 2022. It will eventually be available on the amazing website inquests.ca here:

https://inquests.ca/

For now the Verdict and Explanation in the Ekamba Inquest may be viewed here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LrMHh372i3A1UmnuaCHy2_qim8dt0FSh/view?usp=sharing

Counsel involved with this Inquest are listed in the Verdict and Explanation, including, although not limited to these lawyers for these parties: