Beau Baker inquest to take place in near future, lawyer for Ontario’s Chief Coroner says
Case has taken ‘more time than certainly anybody had hoped’: Ontario’s Chief Coroner lawyer
Kate Bueckert · CBC News · Posted: Apr 03, 2018 11:05 AM EDT | Last Updated: April 3, 2018
A date for the inquest into the death of Beau Baker, who was shot and killed by a Waterloo Regional Police officer in April 2015, will happen “in the relatively near future,” a lawyer for Ontario’s Chief Coroner says.
Baker, 20, died after he was shot seven times by a Waterloo Regional Police officer on April 2, 2015.
Police said the officer shot Baker out of concern for public safety.
Ontario’s Special Investigation unit said Baker had made a number of threats over the phone earlier in the evening and was holding a knife while standing outside a townhouse at 77 Brybeck Cres. in Kitchener when confronted by police.
The SIU found the officer was legally justified in his actions.
The Ontario Coroner’s office called an inquest into Baker’s death in August 2016.
No inquest three years later
Michael Blain, counsel with the office of the Chief Coroner, said they are still working to collect information relevant to the investigation and inquest.
That includes giving information to experts to get reports “that could assist the coroner in determining what issues they might examine.”
“Each case presents a unique set of facts,” Blain told CBC News Tuesday morning.
“Some do take more time than others. This is such a case that has taken perhaps a little more time than certainly anybody had hoped, but we do hope to proceed with the inquest in the relatively near future.”
He said there is no exact timeline.
“We’re just waiting for those reports before we can make that determination. There’s not much point in selecting a date if you don’t yet have all the information you’re going to require,” Blain said.
Baker’s mom, Jackie Baker, said the coroner’s office has not reached out to her to keep her updated on any progress.
Beau Baker’s mother hopes the truth of his shooting will come out in a civil lawsuit
“I reached out to them about a month-and-a-half ago and was told that they were doing paperwork, and they were going to meet up with these people the following week. So another month’s gone by, and I still haven’t heard back from them,” she said during a small rally held at the courthouse in Kitchener Tuesday afternoon.
Since we’ve been waiting for three years, obviously the word soon maybe has a different meaning for the coroner’s office as it does for us. – Beau Baker’s family’s lawyer Davin Charney
At the rally, people held signs reading “Justice for Beau” and “Time is up, give us a date.” As well, a banner that read “Justice delayed is justice denied. Who shot Beau Baker?” was hung on the back of the Market Square shopping centre across the street from the courthouse.
His mom said Baker was not a bad guy and didn’t deserve to die. She said police need to do a better job in dealing with people who have mental health concerns.
“Beau didn’t have to die,” she said. “He was ill. He wasn’t bad. He wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t out robbing people or beating people up.”
She added, “This doesn’t just happen to anybody. If one of the people in your life has a mental crisis, they could end up killed. Unless we all get together and do something about it, it will happen again.”
‘Delay is agonizing’
In a letter to Chief Coroner Dr. Dirk Huyer, family lawyer Davin Charney said the delay in setting a date “seriously undermines the integrity of the inquest.”
“As time passes, witnesses may forget details or may move away,” the letter said.
“The truth of what happened the night that Beau was killed remains unknown to his family and the community. This delay is agonizing and causes the family to suffer further grief and anxiety.”
At the rally, Charney said a date needs to be set.
“Since we’ve been waiting for three years, obviously the word soon maybe has a different meaning for the coroner’s office as it does for us,” Charney said. “Soon would be tomorrow, next week, but … I’m hopeful, perhaps they’ll call it within a year.”
Blain said the coroner’s office has been in contact with the family and Charney to explain the delays, but he also understands their frustration.
“The office of the Chief Coroner is sympathetic to family and friends. We understand their concerns,” he said. “We hope that some of those questions and concerns can be answered once the inquest proceeds.”