On August 11th, Ridge Meadows RCMP murdered Kyaw Din, a poor, Burmese immigrant living with schizophrenia.
Kyaw’s sister Yin Yin called the Maple Ridge RCMP for help taking her brother to the hospital. When the RCMP arrived, she repeatedly requested that they wait before entering his room. Her siblings were just a few minutes away and could help convince Kyaw to go to the hospital. Rather than wait for Kyaw’s siblings or a Burmese translator, the cops burst into his room with a taser drawn. Within seconds of opening his door, they shot him three times – in the face, neck, and chest.
Kyaw died because police officers refused to wait for the people who knew him best and spoke his language. His family believes that the RCMP subsequently lied about him having a knife and fabricated evidence to suggest that he had thrown a weight at them.
On October 5th, the Din family and Alliance Against Displacement organized a rally demanding justice for Kyaw, centering on three demands:
- Fire Jennifer Hyland, Ridge Meadows RCMP Officer in Charge
- Charge the officers responsible for Kyaw’s death with murder
- Stop sending police to mental health calls
We also launched a petition in support of these demands. Sign it, circulate it, and stay posted for our next action!