RCMP officer who shot and killed Slocan, B.C. man testifies at inquest
A Mountie who shot and killed a Slocan man took the stand Friday at a coroner’s inquest.
On Oct. 9, 2014, officers were called to investigate an allegation of assault between Peter De Groot and a neighbour.
It’s alleged that at that time, De Groot exchanged gunfire with officers, prompting him to hide in the bush for four days.
On Oct. 13, 2014, Cpl. Brian Burke – a dog handler with the Emergency Response Team – and another corporal found a remote cabin with an open window. They were suspicious De Groot may have been hiding there.
On Friday, a lawyer challenged Burke to explain why backup wasn’t called.
Burke said there was no radio signal in the remote area. He added that he has dealt with similar situations in the past and that the decision not to call for backup was based on his experience.
He said when the officers opened the door, they saw De Groot on the floor holding a rifle.
“He was propped up on the floor,” Burke told the inquest.
“The term I would use is a prone sniper position.”
A lawyer for the De Groot family asked Burke whether he had committed any violence against De Groot, noting there was head trauma.
Burke said he did not assault De Groot.
The lawyer also asked why De Groot wasn’t put in a “recovery position” to help him breathe.
Burke said based on his training, that position was used for choking victims.
Another lawyer challenged Burke on why he didn’t perform first aid when the other officer found that De Groot had a pulse.
Burke maintained he thought De Groot was dead.
Lawyers also asked Burke whether the ERT’s goal was to kill De Groot.
Burke refuted that suggestion.
“The goal of ERT is to contain, it is to then utilize everything in your powers to successfully negotiate to a peaceful resolution,” he said. “Unfortunately, some cases don’t resolve peacefully.”
The Independent Investigations Office cleared Burke of any wrongdoing, but that didn’t happen until late March 2018, nearly three-and-half years after the incident.
Burke filed a lawsuit, alleging the length of the probe exacerbated his post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition he was first diagnosed with in 2010 but had been able to manage with treatment.
The purpose of the coroner’s inquest is not to assign blame or guilt but to provide recommendations to prevent a similar death from happening.
The inquest is scheduled to run until Oct. 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.