Coco Richie
Age 3026 Oct 2020
Toronto, Canada (Canada)
Died in custody
Coco died in hospital after being taken into custody under Ontario's Mental Health Act.
Subsequently the province's police watchdog misgendered her in a news release.
Members of Toronto's LGBTQ community are demanding answers after a 30-year-old Black transgender woman died last week after being taken into custody under Ontario's Mental Health Act, and was misgendered by the province's police watchdog in a news release.
On Oct. 26, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation into what it said was the death of a 30-year-old man in Toronto.
According to the agency, which looks into any death, serious injury or allegation of sexual assault where police were present, preliminary information suggested Toronto police arrived at an apartment on Bellamy Road in Scarborough after a 911 call was made around 7 a.m.
"When officers arrived at an 8th floor apartment unit, they observed that a man had barricaded himself inside the unit," the SIU said in a news release. "However, the officers were able to eventually make their way inside."
The release goes on to say the "man," whose name was not released, was apprehended under Mental Health Act and taken to hospital, before "he" went into medical distress and was pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m.
In a statement Tuesday, The 519, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, said it had confirmed the individual was in fact a "much loved" Black trans woman. The organization is now demanding more details about what happened.
"Among the many questions for public officials, why has the SIU published a news release that misgenders the woman who died after being informed of this error? We refuse to wait any longer for information and answers from the [Toronto Police Service] and the SIU that account for this loss of life," the statement says.
"Those closest to this tragic loss, family and friends, are owed answers. Those in our communities are owed answers. More information is needed — and it is needed now."
The organization added it will not be publishing the woman's name at this time out of respect for family and friends who may not know the details of her death.
"To all of you who are grieving, we extend deep and heartfelt condolences. We share your grief," the statement says.
We demand answers, transparency and accountability!
— Javier Dávila #TransformHarm (@XjusticeXpeace) November 4, 2020
A beloved community member, a 30 year old Black trans woman, died on October 26 in police custody. SIU misgendered her and Toronto Police are not saying anything.#TPSWhatHappened #AbolishThePolice https://t.co/uEhB7nomgD
http://mojotoronto.ca/2020/11/21/remembering-our-trans-family/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/black-trans-woman-crisis-toronto-siu-1.5787990
https://www.the519.org/news/what-happened
https://twitter.com/notanotherblk/status/1323706034351972353
https://twitter.com/The519/status/1323660046736252928
https://twitter.com/XjusticeXpeace/status/1323791463134670850
https://www.facebook.com/The519/posts/10158652722044801
