A coroner\u2019s inquest into the death of a Mississauga man killed more than six years ago during an interaction with police has been called, the province said Friday.<\/p>\n
Dr. Richard Wells, regional supervising coroner for the Central Region Toronto West Office, announced the inquest, which will look into the Sept. 10, 2019 death of Matthew DiGiovanni, 34. He died shortly after being shot with a Taser wielded by Peel Regional Police at his family\u2019s home in the Malton area of Mississauga.<\/p>\n
An inquest into DiGiovanni\u2019s death is mandatory under the Coroners Act, the province said in a news release Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. DiGiovanni\u2019s death. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths,\u201d the release stated, adding more details,\u00a0including the inquest date and venue, will be provided at a later time.<\/p>\n
An inquest is a public hearing conducted by a coroner, lawyer or retired judge before a jury of five community members.<\/p>\n
\u201cInquests are held to inform the public about the circumstances of a death. The jury makes conclusions about the facts of the death and may make recommendations to prevent further deaths based on the evidence heard at the inquest,\u201d the coroner\u2019s office said in the news release.<\/p>\n
Ontario\u2019s Special Investigations Unit, which looks into incidents between police and the public where serious injury or death occurs, cleared Peel Regional Police officers of any criminal wrongdoing in the incident in which the Mississauga man was killed.<\/p>\n
In a November 2020 news release announcing its decision, the SIU presented a narrative of events leading to the death.<\/p>\n
The provincial watchdog agency said Peel police officers were dispatched to a home on Morning Star Drive in Malton for reports of a family disturbance at around 9 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cMultiple calls from family members inside the home\u201d were received by police, the SIU noted, adding one of the callers, the man\u2019s brother, said he \u201cwas acting erratically.\u201d<\/p>\n
The SIU said two uniformed Peel police officers responded and \u201csoon after arriving, (they)\u00a0became involved in an interaction with a 34-year-old and shortly after apprehended him.\u201d<\/p>\n
A conducted energy weapon, aka a Taser, was used on the man, the SIU continued, adding \u201che went into medical distress after he was hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man was showing no vital signs when paramedics rushed him to Etobicoke General Hospital, and he died a short time later.<\/p>\n
In his decision made public on Nov. 20, 2020, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that any police officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man\u2019s death.<\/p>\n