Inquest begins into fatal RCMP shooting of Maple Ridge, B.C., man with schizophrenia

The inquest into the death of a Maple Ridge, B.C., man at the hands of the RCMP began Monday in the Burnaby coroners’ court.

In Aug. 2019, Kyaw Din, 54, was fatally shot by officers in his bedroom. Din had schizophrenia and the inquest heard he had been off his medication for seven to 10 days before he died.

Din’s sister, Yin Yin Din, was the one who called police to ask for help taking her brother to hospital, something she had done a number of times before. The 911 call was played at the inquest, during which Din’s sister could be heard saying her brother was confused and wanted to hit her.

The series of events that followed has previously been documented by B.C.’s police watchdog.

A report released in September from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. found the officers’ use of force was justified, and the IIO decided not to recommend charges in Din’s death.

Din’s sister said she’s been living in a “nightmare” ever since he died.

“Everyday I think about my brother and we miss him a lot. The worst thing is my brother was brutally killed in his bedroom,” Yin Yin Din said, adding the family has had no justice.

The first session of the inquest included testimony by Yin Yin Din and her brother’s psychiatrist, Dr. Victoria Dmitrieva. Most of the early questions related to Din’s medication, which had changed in the months leading up to his death. Dmitrieva said that if Din was off his medication for seven to 10 days, it could have been enough to potentially trigger psychosis.

A lawyer for the family, Neil Chantler, said the case calls into question the way police handle mental health calls.

“This person needed someone who understood the symptoms he was experiencing,” Chantler said. “This man died because we sent police officers armed with guns to a mental health crisis.”

The inquest is scheduled to run until March 8.

A coroner’s inquest is a formal process that allows public presentation of evidence relating to a death. The jury will certify the identity of the deceased and how, where, when and by what means death occurred.

Presiding coroner Donita Kuzma began the proceedings by noting the inquest is not a trial, but that the jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.