Jagmeet Singh Wants Healthcare Workers To Respond To Some Crises Instead Of Police
Following the death of Ejaz Choudry in Mississauga, Jagmeet Singh is calling for change. In a tweet on Sunday, the NDP leader mentioned Choudry, who was shot by a police officer just one day earlier. Singh went on to say that some crises should be responded to by healthcare workers, rather than police.
On Saturday, June 20, Ejaz Choudry was shot by a police officer at his apartment, after Peel Regional Police arrived to perform a wellness check.
The 62-year-old man was believed to have a medical condition, and had not taken his medication.
A statement from the Special Investigations Unit says that Choudry was “barricaded” inside of the unit, and stopped communicating with officers.
“An interaction occurred,” says the news release, which led to an officer discharging a firearm. Choudry was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Sunday evening, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh addressed the news of Choudry’s death in a tweet, writing “Another cry for help. Another person killed by the police.”
Singh continued, “His name was Ejaz Choudry. He should have been helped, not killed.”
The NDP leader concluded his message by saying, “We need healthcare workers responding to people in healthcare crisis NOT the police.”
This isn’t the first time that Singh has made calls for changes to policing in Canada.
Last week, following the deaths of Rodney Levi and Chantel Moore, Singh spoke about the “systemic change” needed to tackle racism in Canada’s police forces.
Singh urged the federal government to end racial profiling, carding and street-checks. He also suggested that some police funding should be reallocated to mental health services, health workers and local communities.
Mississauga’s Mayor, Bonnie Crombie, also tweeted about the death of Ejaz Choudry, urging the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to “act quickly.”
“Our goal is to support the vulnerable and ensure these incidents never happen again,” she said.
“The 2021 @PeelPolice budget will be reviewed through a different lens,” Crombie added.
The SIU continues to investigate the incident on June 20. Six investigators and three forensic investigators are working on the case.
*This article's cover image is for illustrative purposes only.