Yemisi Opaso, sister to Afolabi Opaso, who was fatally shot by Winnipeg police in Canada on New Year’s Eve, has said there is no clarity over his death.
Opaso was fatally shot by Winnipeg police officers, who were responding to a well-being call at an apartment building at 77 University Cres. at about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
According to Winnipeg police, the 19-year-old, who studied at the University of Manitoba, was armed with two knives when officers shot him.
A spokesperson with the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said on Thursday that the investigation is nearly finished.
It, however, stated that the investigative unit is waiting for the completion of Opaso’s autopsy, which may be up to three months before the autopsy results get to ASIRT’s civilian director, who decides whether charges should be laid, the spokesperson said.
Yemisi, who resides in Texas, says the Alberta investigators have kept in touch with her weekly and will be in Winnipeg on Friday to speak with her.
However, she says they haven’t been able to offer many details about her brother’s death.
“We need closure. We need answers. We just want to know what … really happened. Afolabi was shot three times,” she said.
“There’s no clarity. We are in confusion, we are in agony.”
The deceased sister said she has also been in contact with Black leaders in Winnipeg, as well as her brother’s friends and the roommates who were present during the shooting.
She explained that Afolabi’s roommates informed her that her brother was having a mental breakdown and that they called 911 so he could get medical help, making it clear that he only posed a danger to himself.
