Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jan 2005
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2005, The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Katie Rook

MAN, 34, DEAD AFTER OVERNIGHT DRUG RAID IN WEST-END HOME

A 34-year-old man is dead after a struggle with police officers who
raided his west-end Toronto home early yesterday morning looking for
drugs.

Paul Medeiros, whose six children were also in the two-storey duplex
during the raid, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with breathing
difficulties and pronounced dead.

His brother-in-law, Manny Botelho, 31, said the hallway was white with
pepper-spray and the children became sick to their stomachs from the
fumes.

"It makes me angry," he said. "On the side of the [police] cars they
say, 'To Serve and Protect,' not to go into someone's house and beat
the shit out of someone."

The Special Investigations Unit, an agency that probes any incident
involving police where a civilian is seriously injured or dies, spent
all day at the Mulock Avenue house collecting evidence.

"We're at the fact-finding stage of the investigation," said SIU
spokeswoman Rose Bliss, who would not comment on the circumstances
surrounding Mr. Medeiros's death.

"Police are authorized to use different levels of methods of force.
With that level of power comes a level of accountability, and this has
triggered our investigation," she said.

At noon, eight SIU police cars lined the dead-end street, which is
largely residential but has a handful of industrial complexes. Most
properties are well-kept, with low wrought-iron fences surrounding
short front lots.

Wind chimes dangled over a wooden balcony of the house where Mr.
Medeiros lived and a colourful tile plaque depicting Jesus Christ hung
beside the door. A large crack extended from the top to the bottom of
the outer glass door.

Police had arrived at the duplex around 1:30 a.m. to execute a drug
search warrant and a struggle ensued as they tried to arrest an
occupant. Shortly after 2 a.m. they requested an ambulance and Mr.
Medeiros was taken to hospital.

Because the incident is under SIU investigation, police refused to
give details of the raid, including whether there were arrests.

Neighbours said yesterday that the street's quiet is often disrupted
by a speeding car in early morning hours on weekends.

Last spring the city issued an order to a resident at 77 Mulock Ave.
for violating a noise bylaw, a municipal spokesman said, but no
charges were laid.

Mr. Botelho said he never knew his brother-in-law to be in trouble
with police or involved in drugs, although he confirmed that police
had been called to the residence on two previous occasions.

He said the house was equipped with video cameras that could record
sound, and that video footage of the struggle has been handed over to
the SIU.

Mr. Botelho said he received a phone call around 2:30 a.m. yesterday
from his brother Sandros, who also lives in the duplex with his
pregnant wife Julie, asking him to pick up his nephews. He said
Sandros could not elaborate on what happened because he was being
questioned by police.

Mr. Botelho said his sister Lucy, who is Mr. Medeiros's wife, later
told him that her husband was awakened while he slept in the front
room of the home.

He thought the police flashlights were a fire and went to collect his
children, Mr. Botelho said.

Police kicked down the door and a struggle ensued.

The children woke up and were yelling "stop, stop, stop!" he said.

At least six boys, aged 3 to 13, were in the home. Mr. Medeiros is the
biological father of two, and four of the boys are from his wife's
first marriage.

Mr. Medeiros's mother, who lives down the street, was taken to
hospital with heart problems after the incident, Mr. Botelho said.
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