3 Toronto cops failed to do proper investigation into calls at shelter, where woman was later found dead in a room with alleged killer: tribunal docs

Three Toronto police officers are facing misconduct charges after allegedly failing to investigate properly calls for service at a North York shelter, where a woman was later found dead in a room with her alleged killer last summer.

Three Toronto police officers are facing misconduct charges after allegedly failing to investigate properly calls for service at a North York shelter, where a woman was later found dead in a room with her alleged killer last summer.

Notices of Hearing provided to CP24 documents what allegedly transpired at the shelter on June 29, 2023, involving constables Adam Yurkiw, Victor Lai and Sivapragasam Sivachandrian.

Shelter staff first called the police on June 28 shortly after 9:30 p.m. for two occupants who refused to leave the building. No units were available until the following day at 7:25 a.m. when Const. Sivachandrian and his partner responded. The documents said Sivachandrian was the "coach officer" for his partner, who had recently become a police officer.

Dispatch informed the two of them that a male and a female occupant were known drug users and had barricaded themselves in the room, according to the tribunal documents. The two were also advised that one of the occupants had an outstanding warrant.

Sivachandrian and his partner arrived at the shelter at 7:42 a.m. and met the duty manager on shift, who was unaware of the pending call.

After the manager failed to contact the night staff who placed the call, Sivachandrian cleared the scene at 7:55 a.m. and closed the call with a disposition of "No Action Required." The documents allege he never investigated the matter and did not take action, including knocking on the door or attempting to interact with the occupants.

Eighteen minutes after Sivachandrian and his partner left, shelter staff contacted police again, but because no units were available at the time, the call was pending until 4:43 p.m.