Prayer vigil to be held for Mississauga man killed during wellness check
A prayer vigil and rally will be held this week in Vancouver to honour the memory of a man who was killed during a wellness check in Mississauga this past weekend.
Ejaz Choudry, 62, was shot and killed by Peel Regional Police officers after they responded to a call to check on his well-being.
According to police, Choudry had barricaded himself in his apartment, and while police were able to initially communicate with him, once officers breached the door, rubber bullets and a taser were deployed followed by a firearm.
Choudry was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The Al-Jamia Mosque in Vancouver and Coalition Against Bigotry are holding a vigil and rally this Friday, June 26, to call attention to Choudry’s story and “demand a public inquiry into how Police Murders are handled.”
A member of the mosque noted that because of physical distancing and the 50-person limit in the mosque, people can also join an online prayer vigil on Facebook or can pray in their own way and on their own time “to have a moment of silence to think about the tragic murder of Ejaz Choudry.”
Those who join are asked to wear masks and keep a physical distance of 2 metres from one another.
A fundraiser page has also been created to support Choudry’s family, who remembers him as “an incredibly kind-hearted man.”
According to the page, Choudry leaves behind his wife and four children.
The fundraiser has raised over $100,000 for Choudry’s family so far.