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Google PlayA 19-year-old Brampton resident died hours after an altercation with off-duty Toronto cops last April, according to disciplinary documents recently released by police.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation in the teen’s death back in August, as the two constables involved failed to report the incident. After meeting up with the teen to collect an Apple Watch he was selling on Kijiji, Constables Calvin Au and Gurmakh Benning began to believe the watch was fake. They then proceeded to chase the teen in their car.
When they caught up to him and accused him of selling them a fake watch, a foot chase ensued. They caught up with the teen once again, and pinned him to the ground as he struggled to get away. “You were engaged in a struggle with the male on the ground. You continued to try to maintain physical control of the male as the male continued to try to get up off the ground,” read the police documents.
Another person eventually approached the scene, and the two constables drove off. After the altercation, the teen “appeared unwell” and was taken to Brampton Civic Hospital, where he died hours later.
While the documents don’t name the teen, his family has identified him as Chadd Facey to CTV News Toronto. According to his mother, he was a psychology student and a “kind and loving young man.” He was also a musician, performing under the stage name DPA Face.
While the direct cause of Facey’s death hasn’t been made clear, Au and Benning are both facing charges for allegedly failing to notify both York and Toronto police about their use of force, and failing to document their altercation.
Many people are taking to the Internet to suggest that Facey’s death was unjust, considering a Black person is 20 times more likely to be killed by a Toronto police officer, according to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
The Toronto Police only became aware of the matter last August, four months after the incident, after being contacted by the Peel police. The SIU is still investigating the matter.
