Inquest scheduled for Hamilton teen’s shooting death after police interaction
Published January 19, 2022 at 6:05 pm
An inquest into the death of 19-year-old Quinn MacDougall, who was shot four years ago following an interaction with the Hamilton Police Service, will begin late next month.
The Ontario coroner’s office in Hamilton has announced the probe will start Feb. 28. It will last about 10 days, and 21 witnesses are expected to be called. The proceedings will be made over video conference due to COVID-19 protocols (see link at end of article). An inquest is mandatory under the Coroners Act.
“The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. MacDougall’s death,” regional supervising coroner Dr. Karen Schiff said in a release.
“The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.”
MacDougall was stun-gunned and shot four times on Hamilton Mountain on April 3, 2018, after Hamilton Police Service officers responded to 911 calls, including ones that Quinn had made because he was experiencing distress. His father, Keith MacDougall, has contested findings that Ontario’s police watchdog made in 2019 when it cleared the Hamilton officers who used deadly force, saying his son had made 911 calls after receiving a threat over Snapchat.
Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the provincial police watchdog, heard eyewitness reports that MacDougall charged without warning at a plainclothes officer, and made wild swings with a knife. They concluded the officers had legitimate reasons to feel they and the public peace were in jeopardy.
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Quinn MacDougall’s stepfather, Dave Baldwin, has also told Hamilton media outlets that Quinn was in “anguish” throughout what turned out to be the last day of his life.
There were conflicting eyewitness testimonies during the SIU probe. One civilian witness said Quinn MacDougall did not have a knife, but was holding a cellphone he had borrowed to call 911. Another witness said she saw Quinn raise a knife with his right hand. But his father said Quinn was left-handed.
Between 2000 and 2020, about two-thirds of people who died in Ontario after police interactions either had a mental illness or issues with addiction.
The inquest will start at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 28. Dr. David Eden will preside as inquest officer and Graeme Leach will be the inquest counsel.
The inquest will be conducted by video conference. Members of the public can view the proceedings live at youtube.com/occinquests.
In Hamilton, COAST (Crisis Outreach and Support Team) provides services to people experiencing a crisis related to mental health and addictions. COAST is a unique partnership between mental health professionals from St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and specially trained police officers from HPS. It answers crisis telephone calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 905-972-8338.
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