Thousands Sign Petition Demanding That Ontario Officer Who Shot Ejaz Choudry Go To Jail

Residents are demanding change after a 62-year-old man was killed by Peel Police over the weekend. A petition and GoFundMe page have been started to seek justice for Ejaz Choudry's death after he was fatally shot during a wellness check. Over 20,000 people have signed a petition demanding that the police involved go to jail. 

Choudry, who reportedly suffered from schizophrenia, was shot dead after his family used Peel Police's non-emergency line to ask for assistance during one of his episodes.

Officers reportedly used a ladder to climb onto the father of four's balcony before kicking down the door and opening fire.

Since then, the incident has caused a widespread public backlash.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, and the Muslim Council of Peel demanded in a joint press conference on Monday for the officer who shot Choudry to be fired immediately.

As of Tuesday morning, a petition titled "Justice for Ejaz" has over 23,000 signatures. The page demands that the "killers be incarcerated."

"The intentions of the Peel Regional Police were made evident from their actions."

"There are several other methods that could be used to deescalate a situation, yet a gun was the immediate choice of action. The police arrived and entered the apartment with the intention to kill," reads an excerpt from the appeal.

A GoFundMe page has also been started by Choudry's nephew to help financially support his wife and four children.

Peel Police are currently under scrutiny for both Choudry's death and the killing of 26-year-old D'Andre Campbell, who was shot and killed in his own home after officers responding to a domestic incident. Campbell reportedly suffered from a history of mental illness.

"The Peel Police Services Board is saddened by the events of recent weeks, in which two separate mental health-related calls into Peel Regional Police resulted in the deaths of two Peel residents. We want to offer our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of D'Andre Campbell and Ejaz Choudry for their loss," read a statement by police.

The SIU has announced that they have launched an investigation into the matter which occurred on June 20.