The parents of a Sarnia man who was fatally shot by a London police officer say they’re hopeful a coroners’ inquest sheds more light on the circumstances surrounding his death, but it’ll likely be several years before an inquest is called.
The parents of a Sarnia man who was fatally shot by a London police officer say they’re hopeful a coroner’s inquest sheds more light on the circumstances surrounding his deathbut it’ll likely be several years before an inquest is called.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) released a report this week clearing the officer of wrongdoing in the Oct. 27, 2021, death of Justin Bourassa29, who worked as a tennis instructor and massage therapist.
Police responded to a reported break-in involving three men near St. George and Mill streets about 3:45 am that day and followed Bourassa into a nearby Richmond Row alley, wrongly thinking he was one of the suspects, the report said.
Two officers tried to arrest and handcuff Bourassa, sparking a struggle during which Bourassa put one officer in a “rear naked chokehold” for 45 to 60 seconds, prompting the other officer to shoot Bourassa in the neck at close range, the SIU said.
Bourassa’s parents say the police watchdog’s report left questions unanswered and they are anticipating more details in the eventual coroner’s inquest, a formal hearing where the facts of the death are laid out and a jury makes recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
Inquests typically only take place when all other investigations are completed, including SIU probes and criminal investigations, and appeal periods have expired, a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Coroner said.
“It can take a long time for an inquest to be called,” spokesperson Stephanie Rea said in an email. “Even once all other investigations have been completed, it takes time to prepare for the inquest, agree upon scope, and find times that work for all parties involved.”
A yet-to-be-scheduled inquest into the previous fatal shooting involving London police gives an idea of the long wait the Bourassa family faces.
Samuel Maloney, 35, died in a barrage of gunfire after shooting an officer with a crossbow and charging at others with a hatchet during a Dec. 23, 2016, police raid on his Old South home. Tea SIU cleared the three officers who shot Maloney of any wrongdoing.
The three inquests scheduled to begin this month are for deaths from 2015 and 2017.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays to inquests during the past two years, but virtual and hybrid inquests still were held, Rea said.
More information about Bourassa’s death could come from an internal police review now underway into the fatal shooting. The findings from the review will be presented to the police board, the civilian board responsible for overseeing policing in the city.
The seven-member board will vote on whether to release the report to the public, chair Susan Toth said on Wednesday.
The police board approved releasing the report on the Samuel Maloney shooting, though the five-page document had significantly fewer details than the 25-page SIU report and contained no additional information.