The family of a mentally ill man is questioning the officers’ use of force during the arrest

The family of a Toronto man with a serious mental illness says he lost consciousness and was on life support in late December after a violent standoff with police.

Alban Francis was arrested Dec. 28 at an apartment building near Jane Street and Woolner Avenue after police were called about a man who had attacked another man with a staple gun.

The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation into Francis’ arrest due to his serious injuries.

Francis’ family members, some of whom say they went to the apartment the morning they learned police had been called, say he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and failed to respond appropriately.

“This is the kind of force the policeman used against my brother. They should not have used such force against my brother,” said David Honore, Francis’ brother.

“They could have handled it in a better situation.”

WATCH | Family questions use of force during interactions with police:

The victim who called 911 himself was Marlon Prosper, Francis’ neighbor and longtime friend.

The family does not know whether Francis is on the Toronto Police Service’s Vulnerable Persons Registry, which indicates to first responders that a person requires special care during contact.

However, they argue that Francis has had previous episodes of mental disorder involving the police and believe that his condition was known to them or that his behavior should have indicated that he was dealing with someone suffering from a mental illness.

Janice Honore, Francis’ niece, says she wonders how police tried to de-escalate the situation given the extent of her uncle’s injuries.

“I’m not entirely sure what methods they used, but the end result tells me and my family that there was no de-escalation to deal with his mental illness because he is ultimately in the intensive care unit of the hospital.”

The police are investigating

According to an SIU press release, officers found Francis in the hallway and he approached them with a stapler.

According to the news release, one of the officers shot at the sock and hit Francis, and several others tried to shock him with a Taser.

Francis then barricaded himself in his apartment. According to the news release, the officer fired but did not hit the man.

After attempting to negotiate with Francis, police eventually forced their way into the apartment and used higher conductive energy weapons and blunt force bullets, another type of less lethal firearm, before ultimately arresting Francis.

A Toronto police spokesman said police did not respond to a call for a person in distress, but they received a second call at the same location about a person with a gun.

A spokesman said Francis was charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault on an officer.

Honore said her uncle is now stable, but his family is concerned about the long-term effects of the experience and his ability to live independently. She says the right side of her uncle’s face was severely damaged and he is at risk of losing his right eye.

“Almost his entire life will change dramatically,” she said.

“That’s all I think about. It’s just overwhelming for us.”

Honore says her family wanted to speak out about what happened in the hopes that no one suffering from mental illness will have an experience with police like what happened again in this case.