Director's Report Details

 

Body-worn Camera (BWC) Footage

WO #2’s BWC Footage

At 3:48 p.m., March 30, 2023, WO #2 attended a high-rise apartment on Martha Eaton Way.

At 3:53 p.m., WO #2 knocked at the Complainant’s apartment with no response. He remained outside the door in the hallway.

At 4:02 p.m., WO #2 was given a key for the apartment.

At 4:12 p.m., WO #2 unlocked the apartment, but did not open the door.

At 4:14 p.m., WO #2 entered the apartment after being advised that a man - the Complainant - had jumped from the balcony. There was a closed balcony door with a curtain at the rear left of the living room. WO #2 opened the door and went on the balcony where a bucket was on the ground, turned upside down near the concrete railing, and bird mesh had been removed and pulled to the left side. There was a wallet on the ground, which remained there undisturbed.

At 4:16 p.m., WO #2 walked back into the apartment, completed a search, exited into the hallway, and secured the apartment door.

The SO’s BWC Footage

On March 30, 2023, the SO was partnered with WO #2 in a marked police cruiser.

At 3:42 p.m., a service call was received for a person at risk of dying by suicide at a high-rise apartment on Martha Eaton Way.

At 3:46 p.m., the SO arrived on scene and entered the apartment building with WO #2 and WO #1. It had been reported that a third-party had indicated an individual who was thinking of suicide and provided two potential unit numbers.

At 3:55 p.m., the SO heard over the police radio that WO #1 had seen a man, the Complainant, on the balcony of his apartment from the balcony of the adjacent apartment.

The resident of the adjacent apartment was home and allowed WO #1 and the SO entry into the unit. The SO went to the balcony of the adjacent apartment and observed the Complainant distraught and upset, with his right leg over the balcony railing. The balcony of the adjacent apartment allowed for an unobstructed view of the Complainant. The SO immediately engaged the Complainant in communication.

The SO asked the Complainant why he was there, how they could help him, and if there was anyone they could call for him. The SO also asked the Complainant if he would be willing to speak with him from inside the apartment. The SO tried to keep the Complainant engaged and discussed personal background information and the Complainant’s prior work throughout their interaction. At one point, the Complainant said, “I know you’re stalling,” and told the SO he wanted them to know he was a good man and to tell his kids that he was sorry. The Complainant told the SO to check his phone that was in his apartment and shouted out the password, of which only the first number was audible. The Complainant took something out of his left jacket pocket, said it was his wallet, and threw it on the balcony floor.

When the SO tried to ask additional questions about whether he could help him, the Complainant stared blankly over the edge and continued to shift around on the balcony railing.

The SO’s interaction with the Complainant lasted about 20 minutes and he was the only police officer engaged in communications with the Complainant.

At 4:14 p.m., the Complainant lifted his other leg over the balcony railing and jumped off the balcony. The SO reported the Complainant had jumped over the police radio. Police officers stationed on the ground commenced CPR on the Complainant.

Materials Obtained from Police Service

Upon request, the SIU received the following materials from the TPS between March 30, 2023, and April 21, 2023:

• The Complainant - Occurrence History;
• General Occurrence Report;
• Event Details Report;
• BWC footage;
• Communications recordings;
• In-car camera system footage;
• Policy – Persons in Crisis;
• Policy – MCIT;
• Notes – SO;
• Notes – WO #1; and
• Notes – WO #2.

Materials Obtained from Other Sources

The SIU obtained the following records from other sources on April 25, 2023:

• Video footage from Martha Eaton Way; and
• Cell phone video footage from CW #1.