On March 31, shortly after 8 p.m., Toronto police said they received a report that a man had fallen from the roof of a building on Bathurst and Bloor streets. When they arrived at the scene, police said they found 22-year-old Vanessa – sometimes known as Ezra – Amos on the ground. Amos was then transported by doctors to Toronto West Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Amos’s mother, Brandy Schlemko, says she has not received any information as to why or how her daughter fell from the spot. Police said there was no reason to believe the death was suspicious, but said circumstances remained unclear. Speaking in tears outside the Toronto Police Department (TPS) 14th Division on Monday morning, Slemko called for more clarity about her daughter’s death and the aftermath of the incident. In addition to not being aware of the circumstances surrounding her child’s death, Scklemko claims that she was not informed in time and that her questions about Amos’ interaction with Toronto police and Toronto Western Hospital before her death have not been answered. “[Amos’] “The family and the community are deeply saddened, not only by their loss but also by the lack of transparency from public officials,” said a statement issued by the family.
HOSPITAL DAY BEFORE DEATH
The day before Amos died, they had another interaction with the Toronto police. On the night of March 30, shortly after 10:30 p.m., TTC police responded to Bathurst Station for reports of a man, later identified as Amos, in apparent medical condition. The TTC said it had called first responders, including Toronto police, to the scene as “normal in the case of people with a medical problem”. Schlemko says officers informed her that Amos was spotted by TTC staff using video surveillance sitting on the ledge of the subway platform. She was told that her daughter was “unresponsive and catatonic” and went into “rejuvenation” after which an “exchange of blows” took place between Amos and the TTC policeman, with the result that the Toronto police arrested Amos. Schlemko says she asked to see the surveillance video reported, but has since been told by police that it does not exist. In a statement to CTV News Toronto, TPS did not provide details on the interaction between Amos and TTC staff, but confirmed that it resulted in Amos being arrested for alleged attack and issued a court date for the May 24. Following his arrest, police say Amos was taken to Toronto West Hospital by doctors and admitted under the Ontario Mental Health Act. Schlemko said Amos was initially admitted to Toronto Western on a 72-hour wait, but documents received by Schlemko and presented on the CTV News Toronto show Amos were actually released on March 31, less than a day later and just hours before they were found. dead by police. The reasons for her early release remain unclear. “We were trying to call the hospital and reach out to Western officials with whom he was really in contact. [Vanessa] “between March 30 and 31,” Schlemko told a news conference on Monday. “We have not been given any contact.”
LACK OF COMMUNICATION
According to Schlemko, Toronto police also did not inform her of her daughter’s death until the next day. TPS told CTV News Toronto that this was because they needed time to make an official identification, including contacting a police service outside their jurisdiction to confirm Amos’ identity. Slemko says she knocked on the door on April 1 at around 7:30 p.m. When she responded, she said two Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers informed her that they had “bad news” about her daughter. She said she was given a phone number to call for more information. “The first time I called, the detective was not in the office, but I asked someone to give me some information about where my daughter’s body was,” he said. “No one asked me to come and see it, to come and recognize it. No one reported me to the police. “Nobody gave me a file number, nothing.” Since then, she said she has not received any information from police, nor has she been allowed to see or identify her daughter’s body. “I do not know what is happening at the moment, but I need answers. “That’s the point,” he said. “I’m telling you now. I’re not going to stop until I understand. “ Toronto police said Monday that an investigation is ongoing.
QUESTIONS REMAIN
Speaking to a crowd on Monday, Slemko said there were still many questions about her daughter’s death. Most importantly, he wants to ensure that a full investigation is launched into the circumstances surrounding the series of events that took place on March 30th and 31st. “We urge the Toronto Police Department to release details about this [Amos]death and hospitalization, and let the family see the corpse, “he said. “That’s all I ask – for a proper investigation.” As for the next steps, Schlemko says she wants to have a thorough discussion with the detective about the Amos case. “I would appreciate someone taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to a mother of a dead child,” he said.
