Inquest will be held into death of Vancouver police officer who died by suicide

Const. Nicole Chan was on stress leave from the Vancouver Police Department when she died by suicide in January of 2019.

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different times during her 10-year tenure with the VPD, though the family's claims against McCullough have since been withdrawn.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