There were mixed emotions as the coroner’s inquest into the death of 22-year-old Brydon Whitstone drew to a close on Friday afternoon.
The Onion Lake Cree Nation man was unarmed when he was shot and killed by an RCMP officer in October 2017.
After being sequestered for close to four hours, the six-person jury came back with the lone recommendation that police use a taser gun or other intervention to immobilize or stun the suspect first prior to the use of a gun.
The jury also found the means by which Whitstone died was indeterminate indicating they could not decide whether the manner of his death leaned stronger toward a homicide or suicide.
Whitstone’s mother Dorothy Laboucane was tearful as she said what the family really wants is the investigation reopened and charges laid against the officer who killed her son.
“He’ll (Brydon Whitstone) never get a chance to see his daughter get married, his son get married, to hold his first grandchild,” she said. “He’ll never get those but Constable Abbott (Jerry, RCMP) will. He gets to have all of that.”
At the same time, although Laboucane said she had hoped the jury would find the means by which her son died a homicide, she said she was still pleased they did not rule it as a suicide.
She reiterated Whitstone had no desire to kill himself in spite of a statement Amanda Wohobin, the other passenger in the vehicle, gave to police days after his death and what the RCMP have indicated they believe.
“I was just praying it wasn’t going to be a suicide because I know my son, he wasn’t like that. He would much rather talk somebody out of killing themselves, ending their lives and giving them some hope for something to live for and that’s how my son was, he always had something to live for.”
In a prepared statement, Whitstone family lawyer Stephanie Lavallee said there is no question the case should be reopened but a completely different process used.
Rather than having another police force investigate the RCMP, she said the force should be investigated by an independent arms length body made up of non-police officials with an Indigenous advisory board.
“We are uncertain how the ministry of justice could have had confidence in this investigation and the process that was followed. It appears that the investigation only looked for evidence to support the story, the account of Constable Abbott.”
In a released statement that came out shortly after the inquest wrapped up, the Saskatchewan RCMP said it intends to review the lone recommendation from the jury and make its response available through the provincial coroner’s website.
Colton Boushie’s mother Debbie Baptiste and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice-Chief Dutch Lerat were also on hand at the conclusion of the inquest.
Lerat said the FSIN will be making a statement regarding First Nations and justice matters next week.
The five-day inquest took place at Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench.
(PHOTO: Whitstone family lawyer Stephanie Lavallee reads a prepared statement at the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest into the death of Brydon Whitstone)