Two Hamilton paramedics facing charges in connection with the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Yosif Al-Hasnawi have been fired.
Mario Posteraro, the president of the union representing Hamilton and Brant County front-line paramedics, told CP24 that 53-year-old Steven Snively, of Hamilton, and 29-year-old Christopher Marchant, of Whitby, were terminated effective immediately on Wednesday.
The men have been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life while responding to the deadly shooting on Dec. 2, 2017.
On that night, Al-Hasnawi was struck by gunfire while intervening in a dispute between two young men and an older man.
When paramedics arrived at the scene they left Al-Hasnawi to bleed on the street, his father said at the time. Majed Hasnawi said the paramedics were laughing at the situation while his son was uttering the words “I cannot breathe.”
The teen was pronounced dead in hospital a short time after he was transported.
On December 27, 2017, Hamilton police said they asked Niagara Regional Police Service to conduct a criminal investigation into the emergency medical care provided to the teen.
After the charges were laid last week, the pair was released on a promise to appear in a Hamilton courtroom on Sept. 11 and placed on paid administrative leave.
Posteraro said on Wednesday, in the wake of their dismissal, that their employer had a number of options that could have been exercised while the criminal charges were being dealt with through the courts.
“This harsh and unjust action will be grieved by the union in an effort right this wrong,” he said. “They decided to throw two of their paramedics, ‘under the bus,’ by terminating their employment less than one week after the Niagara Regional Police Service laid criminal charges against the two paramedics.”
“The union believes that the employer’s investigative process including multiple interviews with the two paramedics was focused on finding fault, not on finding facts.”
Posteraro added the employer’s actions send a “disappointing and unfortunate” message to paramedics in the city and across the province.
In a statement, Acting Hamilton Paramedics Services Chief Russell Crocker said their investigation has been concluded.
“As the matter is now before the courts and potentially involved both human resource and labour relations issues, we will not be providing details on the status of employment of the affected paramedics or the details of the internal investigation,” Crocker said. “Hamilton Paramedic Service remains committed to maintain the integrity of the process and the health and safety of its residents.”
The Hasnawi family is also suing Hamilton Paramedic Services, Hamilton police and St. Joseph’s Hospital for $10 million.
Two men, 19-year-old Dale Buringsky King and 20-year-old James Anthony Robert Matheson have been charged in connection with the death of Al-Hasnawi. Both men are from Hamilton.
King has been charged with second-degree murder and Matheson has been charged with accessory after the fact.
