Pubdate: Mon, 17 Jan 2005
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Jonathan Jenkins, Toronto Sun

BOY TRAUMATIZED BY DAD'S DEATH - UNCLE

PAUL MEDEIROS' 5-year-old son has been traumatized after watching his
father die in a confrontation with police during a drug raid, the
boy's uncle says. "I asked him what happened to his dad," Manny
Botelho said. "He started crying. He started telling me everything,
that they were beating him, kicking him, punching him, his father
screaming and everything. The kid saw everything."

Medeiros, 34, died after drug squad cops kicked in the door of his
home on Jan.14. His death is being investigated by the
province's Special Investigations Unit, which investigates all cases
of death or serious injury involving police.

Botelho said his nephew is taking the tragedy very hard, as is
Medeiros' wife, Lucy, and her other five children.

"He's doing badly. He can't even speak, that kid," Botelho
said.

Search Warrant

"He's not eating or anything. His mom's even worse."

Toronto police had a search warrant looking for drugs when they raided
the home, around 1:30 a.m. Medeiros confronted cops at the door and was
pepper sprayed and hit with an expandable baton.

It's not known if any drugs were found or if anyone was charged. The
family was allowed back home yesterday.

"We had to clean the home, the blood and everything," Botelho said,
adding the SIU is supposed to brief the family today.

A visitation will be held for Medeiros today, 5-9 p.m. at the Cardinal
Funeral Home, 366 Bathurst St. near Dundas St. W, and again tomorrow
between 2-4 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.

The funeral will be held Wednesday at 9 a.m. at St. Helen's Church, on
Dundas St. W. and Lansdowne Ave.

"They killed an innocent guy," Botelho said. "He doesn't have a
criminal record, he doesn't even have a parking ticket."
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MAP posted-by: Derek