Household and buddies rallied outdoors the Ontario Courtroom of Justice Sunday afternoon, demanding solutions and justice for Nathaniel Schofield who died whereas within the custody of Rockwood OPP
It’s been 81 days since Nathaniel Schofield died in police custody, and nonetheless his household and buddies haven’t any solutions concerning the circumstances surrounding his loss of life.
Schofield, a 36-year-old father of six from Arthur, died on July 10 whereas in police custody on the Rockwood OPP detachment.
He spent the night time in custody, and the following morning was reportedly present in medical misery and rushed to the hospital the place he was pronounced deceased.
He had a court docket look scheduled that day, the place his mom, Faye Dzikewich, sat ready. She wasn’t instructed he had died till hours after it had occurred, and nonetheless doesn’t know why or how.
The Particular Investigations Unit (SIU) are investigating the case, and have 120 days to give you a solution.
Within the meantime, his family and friends are left ready in anticipation, with nothing to do apart from press for solutions.
The SIU delivers a report inside 4 months, as long as there are not any problems, “and at some point after that, we’ll be able to get some more information from the coroner’s office,” stated Davin Charney, the lawyer representing the household and who focuses on felony instances alleging police wrongdoing.
However ready for that info is an enormous drawback, he stated, and creates mistrust.
“I don’t think it’s fair at all that families like this family are left in the dark for so long by the SIU and the coroner and the OPP,” he stated. “It’s really hard on families.”
That frustration was mirrored on Sunday, when about 30 family and friends members marched by downtown to rally outdoors the Ontario Courtroom of Justice on Wyndham Road, chanting issues like “shame on you, we demand answers from the SIU,” in addition to “justice for Nathaniel” and “a badge should never be a shield for accountability.”
It was one in every of a number of rallies and vigils they’ve held, and can proceed to carry till solutions come to gentle.
“This is a hard thing to do,” stated Dzikewich of advocating for details about her son’s loss of life, “but it’s also a great thing to do. We want answers.”
She stated she is going to proceed placing stress on officers and elevating consciousness till the circumstances of his loss of life, and the best way it was dealt with, are made clear.
“It will help me start to be able to grieve properly,” she stated. “This has consumed me.”
In accordance with Charney, there isn’t a lot the OPP can do as a result of they’re not allowed to launch info or remark in any approach on the incident throughout the investigation.
By laws, the SIU is required to offer a report, elements of which can be made public, which can be offered to the household.
Afterwards, he stated they need to meet with the household to share info not out there to the general public, and supply them with entry to information from the coroner’s workplace, together with the autopsy post-mortem report.
Finally there can be an inquest, although that would take a number of years.
“We’re going to try to press the coroner to expedite things,” he stated. “It’s not going to cost more or less to do it now or in six years time. But I’ve seen lots of inquests take years, which is very unfair.”
Charney stated he thinks the best way the state of affairs was dealt with was “terrible,” and that he doesn’t suppose the SIU investigators are doing a superb job by way of how they impart with households.
“The investigators themselves are mostly former police officers. They’re just not trained or capable (to have) good dealings with the families,” he stated.
Dzikewich stated the matter of Schofield’s loss of life ought to be an enormous group concern, “as a result of it may occur to anybody.
“I never thought this would happen to our family in a million years, and now I‘ve learned that there’s a lot more cases out there. Something has to be done to prevent it. Everyone needs to stand together until there is change,” she stated.
