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Two Hamilton paramedics charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life to a 19-year-old Hamilton man who was fatally shot in 2017 while trying to help someone being harassed have been fired, according to a union statement.
OPSEU Local 256 President Mario Posteraro confirmed to Global News that 53-year-old Steven Snively and 29-year-old Christopher Marchant were fired by the City of Hamilton on Wednesday.
Posteraro called the action “harsh and unjust” and said the decision will be “grieved by the union in an effort to right this wrong.”
He said the City of Hamilton could have taken other actions while the case makes its way through the court process.
He said the firing sends a “disappointing and unfortunate message” to all paramedics in Hamilton and across the province.
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Yosif Al-Hasnawi, a Brock University student and aspiring doctor, was leaving the Al-Mostafa Islamic Centre mosque in central Hamilton on the evening of Dec. 2 when he and a friend saw two men verbally harassing an older man. Al-Hasnawi tried to intervene and was subsequently shot. He was taken to hospital and died a short time later.
Witnesses present on the night of the shooting questioned the response by Hamilton paramedics and claimed the ambulance took a long time to arrive. They also said the paramedics didn’t appear to take the injuries seriously.
“For more than 20 minutes we asked the paramedics to take him to hospital and they said, ‘No, he was just fine. When he saw you coming he started acting out,’” Amin Al-Tahir, a director at the mosque, said after the shooting.
The Hamilton Paramedic Service (HPS) said it has been conducting an investigation into what happened. When asked for comment about the charges Wednesday night, Acting Chief Russell Crocker told Global News in a statement the service learned of the charges through media reports.
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He said the internal investigation is “nearing completion” but could not provide further information “on matters relating to human resources, labour relations or the employment status of its staff.”
“HPS remains committed to the protection and safety of the residents of the city of Hamilton,” Crocker wrote.
“Our thoughts and sincerest condolences continue to be with the family of Yosif Al-Hasnawi.”
In December, the Hamilton Police Service asked the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) to conduct a “fair and impartial” investigation. At the time, a Hamilton police spokesperson said a criminal investigation was warranted based on unspecified “preliminary evidence.”
Snively was arrested on Aug. 1 and Marchant was arrested the following day. Both men were released on a promise to appear in a Hamilton court on Sept. 11.
In an emailed statement to Global News on Wednesday, Hamilton Paramedics Acting Chief Russell Crocker said the investigation has closed and they would not comment on the employment status of Snively and/or Marchant.
LISTEN: Mario Posteraro, president of OPSEU Local 256
Dale Burningsky King, a 19-year-old Hamilton resident, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Al-Hasnawi. James Anthony Robert Matheson, a 20-year-old Hamilton resident, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder.
The charges have not been proven in court.
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