A coroner’s inquest has been called into the death of Brydon Whitstone.
Whitstone, a 22-year-old man from Onion Lake Cree Nation, was shot by an RCMP officer following a short police pursuit in North Battleford last October. He was taken to hospital by ambulance but died en route.
RCMP said the incident began when police received a report that someone was shot at by people travelling in a car. RCMP say it tracked down a car that matched the reported description and began chasing it before the car rammed into a police cruiser. RCMP say an officer shot Whitstone because of the way he was behaving.
Following the incident, a friend of Whitstone’s told CTV News that officers pursued the wrong car, Whitstone did not have a weapon and he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice confirmed a one-week inquest will be held but some tasks need to be completed by the coroners service before a date can be announced.
