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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.