The data confirms what we already knew. What now?

Plus, deciphering Sherman crime scene photos and debating use of the Emergencies Act  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Jordan Tamblyn   Good morning. Here’s the latest on the horrifying race-based data on strip searches and use of force by the Toronto police, what crime scene photos tell us about the Sherman murder investigation, and getting to the bottom of who called for the Emergencies Act.       DON’T MISS Steve Russell/The Star   policing Never-before-seen statistics prove that Toronto police officers use more force against Black and racialized people. What comes next?  Toronto police officers use more force against Black people, more often, for no clear reason – except for race. That’s the key takeaway from a landmark new report containing never-before-seen statistics on officer use of force and strip searches compiled by the Toronto Police Service, Wendy Gillis reports. Before its release, officers were warned to brace for a “challenging” public reaction. Afterwards, the race-based statistics were so stark that Police Chief James Ramer apologized “unreservedly” to the city’s Black community. Here’s the Star’s interactive report on the revelations and reactions. By the numbers: In 2020, police used force on Black Torontonians five times more often than on white folks. Nearly a third of all Indigenous people who were arrested were strip-searched. And the disparity in use of force is worse in whiter areas of the city. Here are nine more key findings from the report.  Watch: “Chief Ramer, we do not accept your apology.” Here’s why critics say the chief’s words are too little, too late – and why next steps proposed by the TPS don’t go far enough. Rosie DiManno’s take: Police stats confirm what we’ve known for a while, but that still doesn’t hold individual officers to account. Go deeper: Read the full Toronto police report on race and officer use of force here.   McKenna Deighton Photo Illustration   sherman murders The Star saw the Sherman crime-scene and autopsy photos. How could a pathologist and police call it a murder-suicide? Warning: Story contains graphic content. The first person to find the bodies of Barry and Honey Sherman inside their Forest Hill home in 2017 had no doubts what had happened, telling a 911 operator: “Someone has killed my clients.” Yet, less than eight hours later, police told the media they believed the deaths were self-inflicted. As the clock ticked on the murder investigation for six weeks, detectives probed the case as either a murder-suicide or double suicide, instead of looking for a killer or killers. Five years later, official crime-scene photos seen by the Star seem clear: This was a double murder, followed by staging of the bodies. Kevin Donovan breaks down the initial reactions, and what it means for the ongoing investigation. Go deeper: The police determination of a double suicide or murder-suicide created a domino effect in the investigation: video from across the road was ignored, DNA and fingerprints were not collected, and the wrong leads were followed, writes Kevin Donovan. Listen: Who is the “walking man” suspect seen on video outside the crime scene? Kevin Donovan joins podcast “This Matters” to explain.    Canadian Press/Justin Tang   emergencies act Did Justin Trudeau just contradict a top minister’s testimony over the Emergencies Act? On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected growing Conservative calls for the resignation of his public safety minister Marco Mendicino and doubled down on a claim that police forces “asked for” Ottawa to invoke the Emergencies Act. But in doing so, Trudeau appeared to contradict testimony made just a day earlier by emergency preparedness minister Bill Blair, who said: “I’m not aware of any recommendation from law enforcement. Quite frankly, this was a decision of the government.” Tonda MacCharles has the latest on the committee investigation into the government’s use of the Emergencies Act.  Go deeper: Conservatives leapt on the contradiction in Blair and Trudeau’s testimonies, while the PM slammed the Tories for “minimizing” the three-week illegal occupation in early 2022 and “celebrating alongside the blockaders.” Listen: Useful, yes — but necessary? Althia Raj unpacks the use of the Emergencies Act and speaks with Mendicino, on her “It’s Political” podcast.       WHAT ELSE   When Ontario got rid of licence plate stickers, it left drivers with a whole lot of questions. Here are some answers.   Brace yourselves. Experts say the decision to drop vaccine mandates could make airport delays worse this summer. Here’s why mayors and MPs along the Canada-U.S. border want the government to scrap the ArriveCAN app.   B.C.’s landmark report on money-laundering places blame on the “failures” of the RCMP and FINTRAC. POV: Get over it — Doug Ford’s victory was an example of how democracy is supposed to work.   POV: And while we’re at it, don’t blame Kim K. for destroying Marilyn Monroe’s famous dress. Oh no! Toronto’s iconic Now magazine is down to a handful of staff and its owners have gone bankrupt. Could this be the end?   Here’s why Toronto and Vancouver will likely be the last Canadian host cities standing for the 2026 World Cup. Michelle Rempel Garner is pondering a run to lead Alberta’s UCP — oh, and walking away from Patrick Brown’s campaign.   Canada was urged to plan its Afghanistan evacuation three months before the fall of Kabul, documents show.       POV Steve Russell/The Star Burned-out nurses are quitting and turning to temp agencies. One nurse sounds the alarm.       CLOSE-UP Rick Madonik/The Star   TORONTO: So long, ActiveTO. Toronto’s popular (and controversial) ActiveTO program is ending this summer. The pilot, which saw up to 36,000 cyclists and thousands of pedestrians using the Lake Shore West closure every day in its first year, eventually became a “punching bag for congestion,” says one councillor.     Thanks for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.     If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below.   Unsubscribe From This Newsletter Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts Become a Star Subscriber View in Browser Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 PRIVACY POLICY