Protestors outside Peel police headquarters demand justice for those killed, injured

Over a dozen protestors gathered outside the Peel Regional Police headquarters in Mississauga, Ont., Saturday afternoon demanding justice for those killed in encounters with police.

A 24-year-old woman attending the protest was arrested and charged with mischief over $5,000, Peel police said in a news release on Saturday. The woman has not been identified.

The protest, organized by the Malton People's Movement (MPM), called on Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah to release the names, fire and charge the officers involved in the death of D'Andre Campbell earlier this year.

Campbell, a 26-year-old Black man who had schizophrenia, was shot and killed in his family's home in Brampton, Ont., on April 6.

Protestors chanted "Get off our streets," and "No justice, no peace," as they gathered outside headquarters. They also held signs that read "Justice for our families," and "Justice for Jamal," in reference to Jamal Francique, who was shot by undercover Peel police officers on Jan. 7. He died in hospital two days later.

Monuments outside the headquarters were also splattered with red paint to represent the blood of those killed.

Chantelle Krupka was one of the protestors chanting "No justice, no peace." She was shot in the abdomen by Peel police in May after her ex-partner called the police on her. Krupka, who was at a protest last week as well, said she will continue to advocate and fight for the families of loved ones who were killed at the hands of police until they are brought to justice.

Following the incident where Krupka was shot, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) charged the former officer who fired at her, Valerie Briffa, with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and careless use of a firearm.

The SIU is the independent police watchdog that investigates reports involving officers where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. 

But Krupka said at the rally on Saturday that there were no consequences for another officer who she said "escalated" the situation that night and Tasered her current partner.

Derek Francique, Jamal Francique's father, demanded that officers involved in his son's death and other cases face consequences for their actions.

"The plan this afternoon is to let everybody understand and everybody know that we are not going away, for the justice of Jamal Francique, for the justice of Chantelle [Krupka,] for the justice of D'Andre and ... for the justice of Ejaz [Choudry,]" Derek Francique said.

"[They] were gunned down, shot, hurt by the Peel police but there's different kinds of avenues that [police] could have taken to uphold the law."

Jamal Francique, 28, was shot by undercover officers who were investigating a vehicle for suspected drug activity. SIU, who said Jamal Francique was considered a person of interest, said he drove away when officers approached. One of the officers fired at the car and shot him.

"I'm outraged, I'm sickened to know that these police officers out here are showing so much oppression for something that is just fake blood," Derek Francique said. "When [they] directly spilt real blood, stopped real hearts, broke real hearts, broke down families."

On Monday, the province's police watchdog cleared the officer that fatally shot Campbell of any criminal wrongdoing, saying there is "no basis" to proceed with criminal charges in the death of Campbell.

On Dec. 12, a few days before the SIU released its decision, families of people killed or injured by Peel police rallied outside the 11 Division headquarters to urge the agency to lay charges against the officers involved in those deaths.

Jamal Francique's case is one of several SIU investigations involving Peel police officers that have not been closed yet — including the case of Choudry, a 62-year-old who was suffering from a mental health crisis when he was Tasered and shot in June of this year by Peel police.

"All I can say is SIU has a track record of not providing a sense of justice," said Choudry's daughter, Nemrah, in a statement from MPM on Wednesday. She is also waiting for the SIU's verdict in her father's case.

"And all I can hope is that D'Andre's family uses all that pain they're experiencing and use it to get justice for him."

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