Neurologist testifies at inquest into Toronto woman’s fatal balcony fall
Written by The Canadian Press on October 14, 2026
TORONTO — A neurologist who examined Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s records after her death told a coroner’s inquest Wednesday that it would be “nearly impossible” to determine that someone was acting aggressively due to delirium or psychosis after an epilepsy seizure without knowing their medical history.
Agitated or aggressive behaviour stemming from postictal delirium or psychosis is “indistinguishable” from the same behaviour from other causes, Dr. Julien Hébert said.
“If a patient has signs of seizures that could obviously alert one to the possibility of postictal psychosis or delirium, but absent that history and absent signs of seizures or psychosis I agree that for a lay person or a police officer it would be … extremely difficult or nearly impossible to distinguish from other causes,” he said in response to a lawyer for the Toronto Police Association.
Hébert was the first witness called at the inquest, which comes more than six years after Korchinski-Paquet fell to her death from a Toronto balcony while police were in her home.
He faced additional questions Wednesday from lawyers representing Korchinski-Paquet’s family, the Black Legal Action Centre, and others who have standing at the inquest.
Hébert said Tuesday that in the years preceding her death, Korchinski-Paquet on several occasions showed symptoms in keeping with postictal delirium or postictal psychosis, both mental states that can occur after seizures.
The inquest heard Korchinski-Paquet had a long history of seizures from epilepsy, often followed by confusion, aggressive behaviour and temporary amnesia.
She had two seizures the morning of May 27, 2020, the day she died. Police were called in the late afternoon over a “rapidly developing and violent family disturbance that involved knives,” the inquest heard.
Five calls were made to 911, three of them by Korchinski-Paquet, the inquest heard. Those calls are expected to be played for the jury, along with CCTV footage from the hallway outside the apartment.
Six police officers and two paramedics responded to the calls.
Korchinski-Paquet, an Afro-Indigenous woman, died at the age of 29 after falling from a 24th-floor balcony.
Her death, which came soon after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, fuelled protests and revived calls to defund the police. It was also one of several deaths to bring attention to how police respond to calls involving mental health.
The inquest was announced earlier this year and is slated to last 14 days.
Korchinski-Paquet’s mother, father and brother have been named as potential witnesses, as have five of the police officers who attended the scene.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.
The Canadian Press