Cops to release Loku probe report

Andrew Loku
Andrew Loku

Toronto Police Board will soon make public the results of a Toronto police review of the fatal shooting of Andrew Loku and develop a process to release similar internal reports in the future, the board said in a media release.

It is expected the new process will be implemented by June 17.

But this only satisfies in part the demands of Black Lives Matter which is calling for the release of the full report.

Andy Pringle
Andy Pringle

“The board acknowledges that there is considerable public interest in these reports. The need for greater public disclosure and transparency must be balanced with valid concerns about privacy, confidentiality and legal considerations involved,” board Chair Andy Pringle said.

Under Ontario’s Police Services Act, the Toronto police force must conduct its own internal investigation into every SIU case involving its officers to determine if any training or policy changes need to be made, or if any disciplinary measures need to be taken.

However it is not yet clear what information will be included in the public reports, including the names of the officers involved, another demand from Black Lives Matter’s Toronto chapter.

In April, the SIU released a heavily-redacted report into the Loku shooting after Premier Kathleen Wynne called for details of the shooting to be released publicly.

The SIU determined that “justifiable force” was used by police in the July 2015 shooting of the 45-year-old man.

On the same day the SIU report was released, Ontario’s attorney general announced an independent review of all three agencies that oversee police conduct in the province.