Black Lives Matter Toronto Holds Rally in Barrie After Olando Brown's Death



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It was a solemn scene in Barrie as friends, family members and members of the Black Lives Matter Toronto movement held a rally for Olando Brown, a man who died in police custody in Barrie on last month. Lives Matter organizer in Toronto, about thirty people demonstrated peacefully at the Barrie Police Station on Sperling Drive.

Brown died on June 23 after being arrested by Barrie police.

Barrie, 32, entered medical distress during the reservation process. The agents called EMS, and Brown was transported to the Royal Victoria Health Center, but eventually died later that afternoon.

Shortly after the incident, a video witnessed the arrest appeared online, showing three police officers under arrest. During the video, a Taser can be seen used several times by the police.

Friends and family say that there was a warrant for the arrest of Brown regarding a domestic dispute, however, the police did not confirm this warrant.

After Brown 's death, the Barrie police notify the Ontario Special Investigations Unit, which has invoked its mandate to investigate deaths, serious injuries or allegations of death. badual badault involving police officers

. About that. However, at a press conference held on June 26, Barrie Police Chief Kimberly Greenwood said Brown's death was a "very tragic incident," but did not comment on it. more.


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The police chief in Barrie calls the death of a man in custody "a tragic incident"

The community of friends and family of Brown has spent the last few weeks since the "death". incident to claim justice for their friend

The organizer of Black Lives Toronto Matter, Ravyn Wngz speaks to the family and friends of Brown at the rally

Hannah Jackson / Global News

Ravyn Wngz, a black life The organizer of Toronto said the rally was intended to publicize Brown's story.

"It's important that people know this story, that people know Olando Brown, what happened to him, the injustice" Wngz says that Black Lives Matter Toronto hopes the rally will help raise public awareness about the question, as well as "I hope, today, accomplishes a number of things. I hope the Southern family will feel supported and that it feels like part of a movement that will change the way police interact with blacks in the city and of Barrie and I hope people will learn the story to learn from the family what exactly happened so that people can understand that carding kills blacks, that tasers also kill them. people. And we are just trying to draw attention to this problem. "


READ MORE:
The Ontario Special Investigations Unit investigates the death of a 32-year-old Barrie man

In addition to helping to organize the rally, Black Lives Matter Toronto has also published a list of 12 applications on behalf of the Brown family. Toronto organizer, Sandy Hudson, says she's concerned about what a Ford government will mean for police oversight.

"Our new prime minister said that he was pulling the new law on police surveillance that resulted from a lot of activism in recent years, for the police to be accountable when this sort of thing happens I do not think we have the choice to be here and say that this type of police behavior is unacceptable and that we will not stand this type of thing going on, "she said.

Hudson is worried about what's going on on a larger scale. "That kind of thing keeps happening, and it has to stop. And we need people in power who are decision-makers to make the structural changes we need so that these things stop, "she said.


READ MORE:
Barrie's friends who died in custody honor their friend, seek justice

Among those present at the rally was Nevaeh Dubois, Brown's 11-year-old daughter.

Dubois says it was so important that it was "

" I came here because my father was always there for me, so I want to be there for him, "she says

"I called my grandfather, j & # 39 I said that if he could pick me up after work, I would give him money, I told him that I would give him my money. Dubois said

She said that being at the rally raised a lot of different emotions for her, including sadness, nervousness, but that it was important that she be present. "I came here because it took a long time to get around me and he devoted me all his life, so I'm going to dedicate my life to him," she says.

Others, including family friend Alexandra Malloy, also feel emptiness. Malloy says that she had known Brown for nine years. "He was there for everything … I was a single mother for a long time, every time I needed help with shopping or with bills, he was always there without hope in back, "says Malloy

Brown's friends and family gather outside the Barrie Police Station as a sign of peaceful protest.

Hannah Jackson / Global News

Another friend present at the rally was Lance Homme libre. Freeman says that he knows Brown since the age of 12.

"He was a good guy, he was trying to help people in charity, helping homeless people, helping the elderly to cross the street," he said. Freeman says that he has witnessed Brown 's arrest and that he has not yet been contacted by the police or the UES as part of the. investigation.

Brown's aunt, Barbara South, says that this kind of story is her way of remembering her nephew. "For the kind and caring person that he was," she said.

South said that she was happy that everyone went out to seek justice for Brown. "I tell you, he has friends that I wish when my chips have fallen that I have friends like these because they are really fighting for him.I am really proud of his friends" , she said

– With files by Katherine Ward

© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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