Nigerian Student's Death Sparks Outcry for Police Reform
Police were responding to a well-being check at an apartment building near the university when they encountered Opaso holding two knives.
WINNIPEG, Canada - The family of Afolabi Stephen Opaso, a 19-year old international student from Nigeria who was studying at the University of Manitoba, are demanding justice after he was fatally shot by Winnipeg police on December 31, 2023, writes Naome Chisala.
Police were responding to a well-being check at an apartment building near the university when they encountered Opaso holding two knives.
Officers say he confronted them in an aggressive manner, prompting one officer to discharge his firearm, shooting Opaso three times. He later died at the hospital.
But Opaso's family lawyer Jean-Rene Dominique Kwilu disputes the police account, saying Opaso was "suffering from a mental health crisis and needed help."
"One of Opaso's roommates called 911 after he seemed distressed and was having a breakdown. They made it clear it was a mental health situation, that he was their friend, not a danger," Kwilu told CTV News.
As Kwilu said, "Why weren't mental health experts called instead of police?"
In a statement, Opaso's grieving family said: "Afolabi was full of life. He had just moved to Canada to study and had hopes for a bright future, but his life was taken by police."
Over 100 people gathered at a January 27 rally demanding justice. A GoFundMe for Opaso's funeral and legal costs has raised nearly $10,000 so far.
The funeral is set for March 7.
Opaso's death marks Winnipeg's third fatal police shooting in 2023, prompting demands for reform.