Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Afro-Indigenous woman, experienced difficulty breathing and reported losing control during a family dispute in a series of distressed 911 calls shortly before her tragic fall from a 24th-floor balcony. This incident occurred on May 27, 2020, while police were present in her west Toronto home, as detailed in a coroner's inquest held on Thursday.

The jurors were shown a compilation video that synthesized the audio from five 911 calls, recordings from two police microphones, and CCTV footage from the hallway outside her apartment. The calls, made over approximately half an hour, included three made by Korchinski-Paquet herself, leading to the rapid arrival of six police officers and two paramedics at her location.

Korchinski-Paquet’s mother, Claudette Beals, initiated the first 911 call at 5:13 p.m., urgently requesting police assistance due to a fight between her children. Shouting could be heard in the background as Beals expressed her frustration in the hallway, revealing that her daughter had experienced a seizure that morning and requested that both of her children be removed from her home.

Shortly after, at 5:15 p.m., Korchinski-Paquet made her initial call to 911, struggling to breathe as she described being attacked. She exclaimed, "I can't breathe!" and indicated that her brother had assaulted her. The call was soon transferred to the paramedic service. In subsequent calls at 5:22 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Korchinski-Paquet detailed how both her brother and mother attacked her following a dispute over turning down the television.

Korchinski-Paquet claimed that her brother had punched her and choked her, and that her mother had joined in the attack. During one call, she mentioned that they had brandished knives but was unable to disclose their current locations. Furthermore, Korchinski-Paquet admitted to throwing two bottles in anger due to the situation spiraling out of her control.

Diagnostic reports indicated Korchinski-Paquet’s struggle with epilepsy, outlining that she had experienced this condition multiple times that day. Her brother, Reece Korchinski, similarly called 911 at 5:17 p.m. from the stairwell, stating that he was defending himself against her. He emphasized that the fight began when she pulled out a knife and remarked on her condition, highlighting that she had suffered two seizures earlier that day.

An established narrative presented at the inquest noted that Korchinski-Paquet had a history of seizures leading to confusion, aggression, and temporary amnesia. A testified neurologist confirmed that prior to her death, she exhibited symptoms consistent with conditions such as postictal delirium, which can follow seizure activity. Korchinski-Paquet's distress was evident in the 911 recordings, as she repeated herself and struggled to articulate her situation due to emotional and mental turmoil.

The police began arriving at the scene at approximately 5:20 p.m., with Constable Brian VandenBrink being the first to arrive. Constables and paramedics joined shortly after, and various recorded interactions displayed a chaotic and tense atmosphere. Korchinski-Paquet was seen pacing in the security footage, and at one point, a police officer noted her behavior as erratic, with sounds of shouting prevalent from the apartment.

Tragically, Korchinski-Paquet fell from the balcony around 5:39 p.m. Shortly after, her mother was heard screaming "No!" followed by sobs of "oh my God," showcasing the profound grief in the wake of the incident. Korchinski-Paquet's death occurred shortly after the police killing of George Floyd, leading to widespread protests in Toronto, advocating for a change in policing practices.

In the aftermath, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit concluded that the police bore no responsibility for Korchinski-Paquet's death, stating it occurred as she attempted to transition from her balcony to that of her neighbor’s. The ongoing inquest will explore the protocols and awareness surrounding epilepsy among police and first responders, as well as the logistics of the 911 call center operations.