Sylvia Klibingaitis told 911 operator 'I'm pure evil' - Action News
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Toronto

Sylvia Klibingaitis told 911 operator 'I'm pure evil'

Inquest jurors heard the audio from the 911 call that Sylvia Klibingaitis made on the day that she died, in which the mentally ill woman told the operator she wanted to kill her mother because she was "pure evil."

Inquest jury hears emergency call mentally ill woman made on day of her death

Klibingaitis 911 call

11 years ago
Duration 2:05
An inquest heard a 911 call Sylvia Klibingaitis made before she died.

Inquest jurors heard the audio Wednesday from the 911 call that Sylvia Klibingaitis made on the day that she died, in which the mentally ill woman told the operator she wanted to kill her mother because she was "pure evil."

The 52-year-old Klibingaitis made the 911 call on Oct. 7, 2011.

At that time, Klibingaitis had been suffering from severe mental illness. She had told family members and doctors that she thought she was damned and would be punished by God.

During the call, Klibingaitis tells the operator that she is being treated for mental illness, as well as the fact that she has a "foot-long" knife and a desire to kill her mother.

Sylvia Klibingaitis, shown in the picture above, was shot dead by Toronto police on Oct. 7, 2011. (CBC)

"I'm about to kill people," Klibingaitis said near the start of the nine-minute recording played for the inquest, after providing the operator with her North York address and asking for police.

"You're about to kill people?" the operator asks.

"Yes, I have a deadly weapon and I intend to use it," said Klibingaitis, who told the operator the weapon was a knife.

Asked why she wanted to kill her mother, Klibingiaits said: "I'm pure evil."

As the conversation continues, Klibingaitis tells the operator that her mother is in the bathroom and she is waiting for her in her mother's bedroom.

"Why don't you get out of your mother's room and walk to the front door?" the operator asks.

"Okay," Klibingaitis said.

The operator asks if she can put down the knife, but Klibingaitis says no.

Klibingaitis tells the operator that she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Gaps begin to emerge in the conversation, where Klibingaitis does not immediately respond to the operator's questions.

But Klibingaitis tells the operator that the front door of the house is open, that she hasn't left her mother's bedroom and that she can't leave the room if she is holding onto the phone she is using.

Then there is silence, as Klibingaitis has left.

Outside the house, there is confrontation with police and Klibingaitis is shot.

Klibingaitis called doctor days before death

Earlier in the day, the jury heard from Dr. Jorge Soni, a psychiatrist at Torontos Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) who treated Klibingaitis in the weeks leading up to her death.

He said that when he first met Klibingaitis in April 2011, she was on a series of anti-psychotic medications.

Sylvia Klibingaitis had told the 911 operator that she was holding a knife and wanted to kill her mother. She was soon shot by Toronto police while holding the knife above. (Handout)

At an appointment in July, he says she had discontinued one of the medications, saying she felt better.

Soni said the medication wasn't having the desired effect, so he didn't have a problem with her discontinuing that part of her treatment.

He said she appeared to be getting better, though her anxiety shifted from religious issues, to issues with treatment for her mother and her daughter.

Things changed on Sept.27, 2011.

Soni testified that's when Klibingaitis came to him and asked to be admitted to hospital.

He says she was agitated and frightened.

"It was again the belief that she had sinned that she wouldn't go to heaven, that she deserved to be punished," Soni said.

Soni told the inquest he took her to CAMH to the emergency room, but before he could get her checked in, she left.

He said he called her and she sounded fine, so he wasn't concerned.

"She was very calm and collected and she was fine and she was going to have dinner with her daughter," Soni said.

3 deaths at centre of inquest

Her death is one of three being examined at the current inquest, all of which involved persons with mental-health issues who were shot dead by Toronto police in separate incidents.

Michael Eligon, Reyal Jardine-Douglas and Klibingaitis, were each holding sharp objects when they were shot by police.

Earlier this week, the inquest heard testimony from Warren Griffiths, a tenant who lived with Klibingaitis and her mother. He testified he was shocked to learn that she had been shot because she lunged at an officer with a knife.

Her former psychiatrist, Dr. Gerald Shugar, also testified at the inquest this week. He said that she had never shown signs of violence.

Shugar said he was "astounded" to hear the news that Klibingaitis had been shot.

Tomorrow, the inquest is scheduled to hear from the officer who fired the shots that killed Klibingaitis. Jurors will also see footage from the dashboard camera, which shows the moments before those fateful shots were fired.

With a report from the CBC's Steven DSouza