Toronto Police Officer Charged with Manslaughter for Death of Brampton Teen

Toronto police Const. Calvin Au has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of 19-year-old Chadd Facey from Brampton in 2021. The altercation between the two parties started over a fake Apple watch deal when Calvin Au along with another officer showed up responding to a Kijiji ad.

According to reports, on April 26, 2021, two off-duty police officers named Calvin Au and Gurmakh Benning went to the area of Highway 50 and Bellchase Trail to meet with a teenager named Chadd Facey about his Kijiji ad for an Apple watch. According to the documents pertaining to the case, Au discovered after the transaction that the Apple watch he got was fake.

The officers then chased Facey in their vehicle and caught up to him. They demanded their money back but ended up chasing him on foot. Au tackled Facey to the ground and it is unclear what the state of injuries sustained by Facey was. The two officers left him there and did not report the incident to Peel police. However, officer Benning later reported the incident to 911 without revealing that he was a police officer and added that the matter had been resolved.

Facey’s friends picked him up and took him to Brampton Civic Hospital but he was pronounced dead a short time later. According to the Facey family lawyer, the teen suffered serious injuries including a hematoma to his head. “This family has been suffering endlessly for two years, trying to understand what happened to Chadd and we are content that today, those responsible will be held to account for his death,” said the family’s lawyer.

Now, Au has been charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault. He was suspended and will appear in a Brampton court on March 2. The Toronto police put out a statement that reads, “At the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, the Toronto Police Service will complete two additional, separate investigations. An investigation by the Service’s Professional Standards investigation Unit in to the events of April 26, 2021 and the conduct of Constable Au and Constable Gurmakh Benning, who does not face criminal charges, will resume.”

Fay Fagan, Facey’s mother, said she is happy to see the officer being held accountable for his actions.

Vineet Washington