Inquest will be held into death of Vancouver police officer who died by suicide
December 2022 Update: The family of Nicole Chan has amended their lawsuit to remove allegations against Greg McCullough.
An inquest will be held to determine the details surrounding the suicide of a Vancouver police officer nearly four years ago.
A statement issued by the BC Coroners Service Thursday says the inquest into the death of Const. Nicole Chan will take place in January 2023.
The Vancouver Police Department reported the 30-year-old's death to the BC Coroners Service on Jan. 27, 2019.
The chief coroner has the power to hold an inquest if she believes "the public has an interest in being informed of the circumstances surrounding the death."
A jury will hear evidence from witnesses and then will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future.
The inquest comes just months after Chan's family brought forward a lawsuit against the VPD, alleging in court documents that Chan endured sexual assault and exploitation enabled by an "unsafe workplace culture and insufficient policies and procedures.”
Chan took her own life after struggling with mental health issues, which the lawsuit alleges were compounded by her relationships with other officers, as well as the force's handling of an investigation into those relationships.
The lawsuit initially named as defendants Sgt. Greg McCullough and Sgt. David Van Patten, two senior officers with whom Chan had relationships with at different times during her 10-year tenure with the VPD, though the family's claims against McCullough have since been withdrawn.
Both of the officers have since left the VPD. McCullough retired while Van Patten was dismissed.
The lawsuit also references two other officers who had sexual relationships with Chan, including one who “held a superior rank,” though they are not named as defendants.
The inquest will begin at the Burnaby Coroners' Court on Jan. 23, 2023.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Lisa Steacy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.