Coroner's inquest for B.C. man shot and killed by RCMP officer in 2014 underway
A coroner’s inquest looking into the death of a man who was shot and killed by an RCMP officer almost seven years ago in southeastern B.C. began hearing testimony in Nelson on Monday.
Peter de Groot was fatally shot at a remote cabin in the Slocan area in October 2014. Police said the 45-year-old exchanged gunfire with officers who initially came to his home, and then fled, triggering a four-day search.
The inquest was initially scheduled for spring of 2020, but was delayed by the pandemic. The proceedings are being made available for public viewing via livestream, but technical issues beginning Monday morning led to the audio portion being unavailable.
In 2019, de Groot’s sister Danna spoke to CTV News Vancouver, and said his family is hoping the inquest will provide answers to a number of questions, including why police attended his home in the first place, and why she was prevented from contacting him in an attempt to bring the situation to an end.
“He was not the person they portrayed him to be,” she said. “He was very, very special to a lot of people. He was super intelligent.”
She said her brother had been a PhD candidate, but suffered an aneurysm at age 29, and following that had worked hard to build the kind of life he wanted, which included independence and being close to nature.
In 2018, the officer who shot and killed de Groot was cleared of wrongdoing by the Independent Investigations Office. Cpl. Brian Burke launched a lawsuit against the police watchdog, claiming their lengthy investigation worsened the post-traumatic stress disorder he had been diagnosed with prior to the fatal shooting.
The family of de Groot also has a civil lawsuit against the RCMP, which they have previously said is being deferred until the inquest concludes.
The inquest is scheduled to run until Oct. 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.