LATEST STORIES:
Two Hamilton paramedics face charges in 2017 death of Good Samaritan
Two Hamilton paramedics are facing charges in connection with the death of a Hamilton teen who was shot while trying to stop an altercation last year.
Steven Snivley, 53, of Hamilton and Christopher Marchant, 29, of Whitby have both been arrested and charged with failure to provide to necessaries of life. They have both been released and will appear at John Sopinka Courthouse on September 11th.
Yosif 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.
Witnesses say paramedics assessed Al-Hasnawi’s wound and kept reassuring bystanders that the teen had only been shot by a pellet gun. The witnesses allege both police and paramedics claimed the teen was faking his injuries and believed he could stand up on his own.
Al-Hasnawi was pronounced dead at 9:58 p.m., 19 minutes after his arrival at St. Joseph’s.
A criminal investigation was launched in January by the Niagara Regional Police Service into how paramedics handled the incident.
The head of an OPSEU local which represents the paramedics confirmed two male paramedics were brought in to NRPS headquarters on Wednesday and charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life.
Mario Posteraro, president of OPSEU Local 256, said the union will be defending the paramedics and called the called the charges an attack on the paramedic profession. He says they are confident the two men will be absolved of conviction.
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.
RELATED STORIES
The mother of Yosif Al-Hasnawi files a formal complaint against Hamilton paramedics
Suspect arrested in the homicide of Yosif Al-Hasnawi
Hamilton police release new images of murder suspect
Community mourns the death of Yosif Al-Hasnawi
Al-Hasnawi death investigation
Investigation launched into how EMS treated Yosif Al-Hasnawi
One arrest made in murder of Hamilton teen, shooter wanted by police
