Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

On October 13, 2022, Taresh Bobby Ramroop died after a prolonged, violent encounter involving approximately 20 Toronto police officers, including several members of the Emergency Task Force. Taresh did not need a police response that day, he needed mental health care. Instead, the police staged an hours-long standoff which ended after Taresh tried to escape from a window in his Jane/Finch highrise apartment and fell to his death.

The Toronto Police are responsible for this death, and must be abolished so we can develop emergency responses that provide safety, care, and dignity. This event will feature several members of Taresh’s family, as well as members of the Jane/Finch community who are tired of police violence, intimidation, harassment, and surveillance.

The family’s demands include:

-abolish of the Toronto Police Services, and the development of appropriate and caring emergency responses

-name and criminally charge against all officers involved in the October 13th response, including the police official(s) who supervised and directed the police’s actions

-the release to the family of all police body camera footage, audio recordings, dashcam footage, and notes from all officers related to the October 13th response

Important facts about October 13th:

-The family and other witnesses saw approximately 20 officers at the apartment; media and the SIU have incorrectly reported that only 3-6 officers attended

-A police officer assaulted Taresh’s mother when she arrived and asked to speak to her son

-Police told family members a doctor would be attending to treat Taresh, but the family never saw any doctor arrive or attend to Taresh

-Taresh’s body lay on the ground for several hours after he died; family members were not informed of his death for several hours

More information:

Jane Finch Action Against Poverty (Twitter)

No Pride In Policing Coalition (Twitter)