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SIU investigating role of Hamilton police officer in death of Good Samaritan

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The Special Investigations Unit has confirmed they are investigating the role a Hamilton police officer played in the death of 19-year-old Yosif Al-Hasnawi.

Al-Hasnawi was shot on Dec. 2, 2017 after he tried to help a stranger who was being accosted by two men outside his downtown mosque.

Hamilton police confirmed there was a 38-minute delay between the ambulance’s arrival on scene and when the teen was brought to hospital.

Al-Hasnawi was pronounced dead 19 minutes after his arrival at St. Joseph’s hospital.

Witnesses said paramedics assessed Al-Hasnawi’s wound and kept reassuring bystanders that the teen had only been shot by a pellet gun. The witnesses alleged both police and paramedics claimed the teen was faking his injuries and believed he could stand up on his own.

“Given allegations in the media at the time regarding the actions of first responders at the scene, including police, the SIU began making preliminary inquiries to assess whether there was a basis to invoke the Unit’s jurisdiction,” said Monica Hudon, Special Investigations Unit Communications, in a news release. “Based on the results of those preliminary inquiries, which included medical evidence, the SIU can confirm that it is investigating the role of one Hamilton Police Service officer in relation to this incident.”

The SIU says two witness officers have been designated to the case.

A criminal investigation was launched in January by the Niagara Regional Police Service into how paramedics handled the incident.

Earlier this month, two Hamilton paramedics, 29-year-old Chris Marchant and 53-year-old Steven Snively, were charged with failure to provide the necessaries of life to Al-Hasnawi.

The union representing the paramedics said they will be defending the paramedics and referred to the charges as an attack on the paramedic profession.

Al-Hasnawi’s family filed a $10-million lawsuit against St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Paramedic Service, Hamilton Police Service Board, two EMS crew members, and two police constables claiming they failed to provide the appropriate care for the injured teen.

Dale King, the alleged shooter charged with second-degree murder, and James Matheson charged with accessory after the fact, are also named in the lawsuit.

Allegations contained in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the SIU at 1-800-787-8529. The SIU is also urging anyone who may have any video evidence related to the incident to upload that video through the SIU website.

The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.