The public inquest into the death of a 22 year old man from the Onion Lake First Nation involved in a police pursuit in North Battleford begins today (Mon). In October of 2017, RCMP responded to a call about someone being chased by a vehicle and being shot at. Police say that after a brief pursuit, the driver slammed his vehicle into a police cruiser. An officer fired his gun, wounding Brydon Whitstone, who was pronounced dead on route to hospital.

Both an internal investigation by the RCMP and an independent investigation by the Regina Police Service concluded that procedures were followed. In a statement, the RCMP says it welcomes the coroner’s inquest, because it’s a fact-finding process that will allow for full disclosure of the facts. The inquest runs through Friday in Court of Queen’s Bench in Battleford.