Coroners inquest into police shooting death of mentally ill man wraps with testimony reasonable force used

The first witness on the sixth and final day ofthe B.C. Coroners inquest into the police shooting death of Kyaw Naing Maung said Ridge Meadows police were "reasonable" in their use of force because the mentally ill man charged officers with a seven centimetre-long paring knife.

Ronald J. MacDonald, chief civilian director of the independent investigations office of B.C., was referencing the IIO's investigation into Maung's death, which found, in September2020, that the case did not meet the bar for criminal negligence.

Maung, 54, was off his schizophrenia medication and suffering a mental health crisis in August2019 when he was shot three times in his bedroom by police trying to apprehend him under the Mental Health Act.

Coroners inquests do not attributelegal responsibility or makelegal conclusions, but a coroner's jurycan make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.

Maung's siblings have been vocal insisting the police officers involved in their brother's death be charged criminally. They have also disputed some police evidence and accusepolice of a coverup.

IIO investigator Garry McBride said the autopsy showed police attemptsto immobilize Maungwith a Taser before he was fatally shot failedbecause only one of the two Taser barbs made contact.

Maung was off his schizophrenia medication and undergoing a psychotic episode when he was killed.

His sister had called 911 to ask that he be taken to hospital to restart his medication, as had happened without issue in past instances.

Much of the day's testimony focused on broad questions around police training and the appropriateness ofpolice being sent to dealwith people in crisis.More than one witness said police are having to deal with an increasing number of mental-health-related calls.

Ridge Meadows RCMP Supt. Wendy Mehat said her detachment is in the process of creating a referral service called the "situation table" which would give police direct access to community partners who provide mental health, substance use and housing supports.

She said Ridge Meadows RCMParealso hoping to create theirown Car 67 mental health outreach team, similar to the one in Surreywhich pairs a psychiatric nurse with an officer. Mehat previously oversaw Car 67 during her tenure with Surrey RCMP.

The CEO of the B.C. division of the Canadian Mental Health Association saidpolice being automatically deployed as first responders to someone suffering a mental health crisis isa widespread problem.

"We want to be a world where police are called upon much less to mental health and substance use emergencies," saidJonny Morris.

Morris spoke in favour of a co-response model, consisting of a social worker or peer crisis worker to de-escalate a situationand a police officer to guard for safety. He said the biggest obstacle to the co-responsemodel was funding and resources.

The inquest jury is expected to submit recommendations at a later date.