The mother of a London, Ont., man who died after being arrested by police says she wants answers following the death of her son on Tuesday.
Stephanie Gajewski said she called the police on Tuesday after learning that her son Fabian Hart had died. She told Global News that another son, Fabian’s brother, had broken the news to her.
“I left a message and was told my call would be returned within an hour and I have not heard back from the London police in two days,” Gajewski said.
In response to Gajewski’s complaint to media, London police have said they won’t comment any further on the case because it is being investigated by Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
Gajewski said her son struggled with alcoholism and drugs. Before he was arrested the mother of his child told her he appeared to be high on something.
According to court documents obtained by Global News, a part of the release order stated Hart was not to have contact with the mother of his child due to a family court order.
The documents also show the charges on Feb. 1 were failure to comply with release order, break and enter dwelling-house with intent.
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According to the SIU, Fabian Hart, 34, was arrested Monday at 3:30 p.m. for failing to comply with conditions of a release and taken to police headquarters, processed and placed in a cell.
Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday, the SIU says the man told officers he wasn’t feeling well. While in custody, Hart went into medical distress. The SIU says officers performed first aid until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived.
He was transported to hospital by EMS. London police say he was pronounced dead shortly after 9:40 a.m. The post-mortem took place Wednesday morning in London.
“I’m very anxious to find out what these last few hours were like on this earth and what the police did to him or didn’t do for him,” Gajewski said.
“As far as I’m concerned, if he was in that state of mind, he should have been taken to a hospital, not to the police station.”
Gajewski said her relationship with her son had been strained for some time but she hopes people remember him as a good person.
“Fabian had a heart of gold, he would do anything for anybody,” she said. “Even if he didn’t know you, he would help you if you needed help and you didn’t even have to ask because he would just go and do it.”
Fabian was father to a three-year-old son, and was the middle child with twin old brothers and one younger.
–With files from Jake Jeffrey
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