Her family have accused the police of playing a role in her death, though the officers present have been cleared of any wrongdoing. Against that complex backdrop, and because a public consultation must take place, it is possible a new chief will not be appointed until next year. And that appears to have hastened the departures of both Coxon and fellow deputy chief Barbara McLean. Coxon, McLean and Hong Kong-born Peter Yuen were all appointed to the position of deputy chief at the same time, in August 2017, in a bid to modernise the Toronto force.
The star
Coxon was the least experienced and youngest of the trio and regarded as the star of the group â for modernisation and academic prowess rather than crime investigation. With the Garda having gone through years of scandals â though that has lessened in more recent times â one source in Toronto says the âpivot towards changeâ period the Garda is going through will have proven very attractive to Coxon.
City police identified the victim as Angela Velazquez, 38, and confirmed the extent of her injuries.
âWe are worried about her future and her recovery,â said Velazquezâs sister Barbara McLean, 31, a Wilkes-Barre native now living in Hinesville, Georgia.
McClean said Velazquez, of Kingston, was on her way to get a money order to pay her rent when police say she was struck by a driver who traveled through a red traffic light at South Main and Northampton Streets.
She said Velazquez had walked from her home in Kingston to visit their mother in the Heights section of Wilkes-Barre, like she always does.
Toronto police s 2 female deputy chiefs leaving the force for other roles
by News staff
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Shawna Coxon and Barbara McLean. HANDOUT/Toronto Police Service
Toronto Police Service’s highest ranking female officers are leaving the police force for other roles.
Deputy Chief Barbara McLean has been tapped as the Investigations Director for the Mass Casualty Commission which is the joint federal and provincial inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting in April of 2020. She has spent the last 28 years with Toronto police.
McLean was described by the TPS Board as “a vital leader and key influencer in both the strategy and implementation of Toronto Police Service’s modernization strategy” who contributed significantly to outreach and engagement with the LGBTQ2S community.
Two high-ranking female officers with the Toronto Police Service will be leaving the department for new opportunities, the Toronto Police Services Board confirmed Tuesday.
The commission leading the inquiry into the mass killing in Nova Scotia last April has announced the people who will lead the teams supporting its work.