A coroner’s inquest into the death of Brydon Whitstone is expected to take place in Battleford in December.
Whitstone was shot by police on the evening of Oct. 21 at the 15th Avenue and 105 Street intersection in North Battleford.
Most information about the incident comes from RCMP press releases. According to the release, members responded to a call from a man who reported being chased by a vehicle “and being shot at by the occupants.”
“Members located the suspect vehicle and initiated a brief pursuit, which ended shortly after when the suspect vehicle rammed a police vehicle and became immobilized near the intersection of 15th Avenue and 105th Street in the City of North Battleford,” RCMP report in a press release.
“In response to the driver’s actions following the pursuit, a member discharged their firearm injuring an occupant of the vehicle. Life-saving measures were immediately provided by RCMP members until local EMS arrived and took over, however at approximately 9:40 p.m., the driver was pronounced deceased while enroute to hospital.”
An RCMP member suffered minor injuries in the pursuit but was later released.
Saskatchewan RCMP requested independent, external investigations, conducted by Regina Police Services and the Ministry of Justice, according to the release.
Press releases serve as official word from the RCMP. Reporters asking RCMP about further details surrounding incidents are often directed to press releases.
Amanda Wahobin was a passenger in the car during the incident. She was charged with possession of property obtained by crime in relation to the incident, in addition to charges of robbery and breach of a conditional sentence that weren’t related to the Whitstone incident.
Wahobin was later sentenced to 23 months jail time, resulting from the previous charges. In October, the possession of property obtained by crime charge was stayed.
Questions have remained about the details of Whitstone’s death, including from some callers to the News-Optimist.
Brydon’s cousin Eldon Whitstone, in an interview last October, questions the RCMP’s use of force. Others have reportedly questioned the timeline of events.
According to Saskatchewan’s Office of the Chief Coroner’s website, a coroner’s inquest is a “public hearing where witnesses are called and evidence heard before six jury members. The inquest is fact finding, not fault finding and is not a civil or criminal proceeding.”
Inquests are mandatory if somebody dies in police custody. In other instances of sudden or unexpected death, the Chief Coroner decides to hold an inquest.
Reasons for coroners’ inquests include “determining the identity of the deceased and how, when, where and by what means he or she died,” “informing the public of the circumstances surrounding a death” and “making dangerous practices or conditions known and make recommendations to avoid preventable deaths.”
In 2010, a coroner’s inquest was held in North Battleford to investigate events surrounding the death of Ida Paul, who died in 2009 at the Battlefords Union Hospital. Paul was in police custody.
A number of RCMP members, doctors and witnesses testified at the inquiry. The jury concluded Paul’s death was a result of multi-organ failure and was accidental. Doctors said liver failure was likely a reason for her death, which some said could have been caused by Tylenol.
The jury made two recommendations, one of which was for the RCMP to be more active in physically checking their prisoners in custody every two hours.
Whitstone was confirmed to have been involved with a gang, the Westside Outlaws, but those close to Whitstone have reportedly said he wanted out of gang life around the time of his death.
Whitstone spent time in prison. He experienced recent tragedy as a baby son died in September 2017.
— With information from John Cairns
