Inquests planned for 2 people who died after interactions with police in Mississauga and Brampton

There will be coroner’s inquests into the deaths of two people who died after interactions with police in Mississauga and Brampton.

The mandatory inquests will look into the deaths of Pedro Rego and Harrison Iris.

Rego, 44, died on Oct. 31, 2017, following what the province is calling “an interaction with officers from Peel Regional Police.” He was a father of 10 and grandfather of four, according to an online fundraiser that started after his death.

The province’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, investigated a death on Oct. 31, 2017, which they said started with an incident outside a residence in Brampton. Rego is not named in the report, however, this case was the only Peel police-related death reported on Oct. 31.

Police and paramedics arrived after a call to the home. A man, 44, was taken to hospital after a struggle with police. The man went into medical distress and was pronounced dead at hospital. The cause of death was later attributed to a drug overdose.

The SIU cleared Peel police officers of any wrong doing.

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The inquest into Rego’s death is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7. It can be viewed online here.

Harrison Iris, 18, died in hospital on Feb. 11, 2021 in Mississauga after Peel police officers took him into custody.

There is also an SIU report into the death of an 18-year-old man for Feb. 11, 2021. In this case, police responded after a parent was unable to control her son who was autistic and had mental health issues, according to the SIU report.

The teen had fled but was later apprehended under the Mental Health Act. Paramedics believed the teen had taken a drug but results of toxicological analyses were not complete at the time of the SIU report.

The SIU cleared officers in this case.

The date of the inquest into Iris’s death has not yet been released.

Both inquests will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.

More information on coroner’s inquests can be found here.

With files from Ryan Rumbolt

Lead photo of Pedro Rego: GoFundMe