Ontario’s police watchdog says investigators have not interviewed the family of the Toronto woman who fell to her death while officers were in her home.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says it is waiting to hear from the lawyer representing the family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet.
The family postponed interviews last week after their lawyer cited concerns about possible leaks from police sources regarding the case.
A story published in the Toronto Sun says unnamed sources told the paper Korchinski-Paquet used a heavy appliance to block her balcony door before she fell to her death.
Knia Singh, a lawyer for Korchinski-Paquet’s family, tells Global News the family is still mourning and also has to “regain their trust” when it comes to the investigators and the process.
“The family has serious concerns with that, but the main reason is that they are mourning and in the middle of planning a funeral,” he says, adding the plan is to meet with SIU investigators.
Singh says the family will hold a private funeral and will announce a public memorial in the near future. He adds the family is still awaiting the results from an autopsy.
The family has questioned the role of Toronto police officers in Korchinski-Paquet’s death in late May.
The SIU says it has completed a canvass of the area in an attempt to locate evidence and witnesses.
It says investigators have interviewed the subject officer, five witness officers and seven civilians and has secured security video from the apartment building where she lived.
— With files from Alanna Rizza and Nick Westoll