Brother of man shot by Windsor police 4 years ago says solutions needed
Allan Andkilde was fatally shot by police on Monday not far from where Matthew Mahoney was shot
The brother of a man who was fatally shot by police in downtown Windsor four years ago is calling for solutions in light of the police shooting death of another person this week.
Michael Mahoney called the death of Allan Andkilde a "shame" and said we need to get to the bottom of why police shootings happen.
His brother, Matthew Mahoney, 33, died after being shot by police on March 21, 2018, after police received complaints about a man with a block of knives.
"We expect officers to be able to protect people from themselves sometimes," said Mahoney. "Anyone can have a bad day. Anyone can have a mental health crisis at some point in their lives, and we need to stop thinking about that as justification for these types of events, and start thinking about systems approaches to actually finding solutions to make sure this stops happening."
LISTEN: Michael Mahoney joins Windsor Morning
At the same time, Mahoney said he couldn't speculate on the circumstances surrounding this case, which are still under investigation.
"It would just be speculation right now, and that can be really dangerous," he said.
In 2019, the SIU found the officers were justified in using lethal force against Matthew Mahoney, who they said slashed a knife at an officer.
Mahoney had schizophrenia and other mental health issues, his brother previously told CBC News.
There is no set date for the inquest into his death.
On Monday, Andkilde, a 70-year-old man, was shot by police and died in hospital.
According to Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, Andkilde was wielding a machete and threatening people. Police had received a call about person with a weapon.
One officer used a Taser on the man, and another fired a gun at him.
The incident happened at Ouellette Avenue and Wyandotte Street, not far from where Mahoney was shot four years earlier near the McDonald's at Wyandotte and Goyeau Streets.
Asked what message he would share with Andkilde's family, Mahoney said one of the things he'd tell them would be not to be afraid to seek help.
"This kind of violence can unravel a person. It shakes you to your core, and it makes you feel unsafe. It makes you distrust the very people that you're supposed to be able to trust the most, even when you're having a crisis," he said.
With files from Windsor Morning