More than 100 friends and strangers gathered Monday night to pay tribute to Charles McGillivary, a developmentally delayed man who was killed after an encounter with police outside a Bloor Street pizza restaurant.

McGillivary, 45, was tackled and arrested by police officers while walking with his mother towards a Bloor Street pizza shop near Christie Street on Aug. 1.

He died later that night in hospital.

At a vigil held at Christie Pits Park Monday evening, long-time friend Bryan Waskl said he was a fun-loving man who enjoyed pizza and soda pop.

"What kind of guy was he? Great guy; great guy," said Waskl.

McGillivary's mother Ann broke down in tears during the vigil as songs were sung in his honour and a crowd of more than 100 people held a moment of silence.

Friends and family said the memorial was not about placing blame for his death, but to respect and remember their loved one.

McGillivary was developmentally delayed and hearing impaired. His mother told CTV Toronto that he had suffered brain damage during a childhood car accident and could not speak.

New Democrat MPP Rosario Marchese said the public deserved answers about how the developmentally delayed man ended up dead.

Marchese wrote an open letter to Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair questioning how officers are trained to deal with people with disabilities.

"We need a full investigation," Marchese said during a speech to the crowd.

"There has got to be sensitivity around these experiences. There's got to be sensitivity when a mother says he can't speak."

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is currently investigating McGillivary's death. The watchdog organization is called to probe cases where people have been injured or died as a result of contact with the police.

Officials are looking at surveillance videos supplied by nearby restaurants and businesses.