Beau Baker's mom tells inquest she's proud to hear how hard her son tried to stay alive

Jackie Baker knew her son, Beau Baker, needed help, but told a coroner's inquest that finding the right mental health and addiction support for him was frustrating.

"I know Beau wanted to live, he just wanted to know how. He just wanted help — consistent help," Jackie Baker testified Wednesday at the inquest into his death.

The inquest began on March 20 and is being held virtually.

Beau Baker, 20, was shot and killed by a Waterloo Regional Police Service officer in April 2015 outside Bakers' home on Brybeck Crescent in Kitchener, Ont. Baker had called 911 threatening to kill himself and harm others. Baker's family has said he had "documented mental health issues." Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, said there were no reasonable grounds to charge the officer in Baker's death

An inquest into Baker's death is mandatory under the Ontario Coroners Act. The inquest into Baker's death began on March 20, 2023 and is being held virtually out of Toronto. The jury in a coroner's inquest makes recommendations to prevent future similar deaths. Read all of CBC's coverage of the coroner's inquest here.

Beau 'thought of others'

Jackie told the inquest "Beau was a cutie" as a baby and toddler.

"He was creative, giving, he was the little version of his 20-year-old version. He thought of others. He did have a bit of a temper," she said, noting he was close in age to one of his brothers and they would fight sometimes.

She spoke about how when Beau was about two years old, she asked the Children's Aid Society to help her place her sons in a home while she sought help for problems with alcohol. She said it took a couple of years "to get it together" and become sober, and during that time, she saw the boys in visits arranged by the society.

When Beau was four years old, he and his brothers were returned to their mother's care. After several years of sobriety, Jackie relapsed and the Children's Aid Society moved the boys out of the family home. Beau was placed in a group home and she said he didn't like it there.

After some time, Jackie said she was able to bring Beau and his brothers back into her care. Eventually, Beau and his brother moved out of the home and lived together.

Jackie said she knew her sons were using alcohol and marijuana.

When Jackie's mom died of lung cancer in early 2011, Baker took it really hard, she said.

His grandmother was "the most consistent person in his life," Jackie said.

"He was just very sad and then I think angry," she said, but he didn't tell her he was suicidal.

"We had each other. We talked. We cried," she said, adding she did seek out various services in the community to get Beau help when he wanted it.

"We were very close. The last four years of his life I was taking him to various organizations. I set him up with Ray of Hope — it was like a young person's AA group."

The inquest heard earlier this week that Beau had gone to Grand River Hospital in Kitchener 26 times in the year before his death for suicide ideation, suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injuries.

Dr. Peter Szatmari, a psychiatrist and expert witness who did not care for Beau Baker but reviewed documents related to the case, said it was an incredibly high number of visits.

"I have never, in my 50 years of my career in practice being on call in the emergency department, never hear of anybody make 26 visits in a year," Szatmari said.

Szatmari testified that Beau showed signs of emotional and behavioural problems as a young child that were identified, but they were not properly addressed.

Jackie Baker teared up as she spoke about how she would take Beau to the hospital when he asked her to, but she didn't realize just how often he was seeking help.

"He did tell me sometimes — not every time. I've never been more proud of him, hearing how hard he tried."

Police response to call

Earlier on Wednesday, the inquest heard from WRPS Staff Supt. John Goodman. He told the inquest that during a 911 call, Beau said he had a knife, and threatened to hurt EMS workers if they came to help him or stab people who were walking down the street. 

Even if it was made today, the call would be treated as a criminal matter first before mental health supports would be called in, Goodman said.

"There were some serious issues for people and we would never bring a crisis worker into that situation until we had it under control."

Still, he called for more funding for programs to have mental health workers attend calls with police officers.

When asked if there was anything she wanted the coroner's jury to consider in terms of recommendations she'd like  made following the inquest, Jackie said yes and she felt they would be "obvious to most people," including more funding for crisis workers to attend calls with police.

"I still think some of the de-escalation training needs more work," she said. "I trust that the jury will make the wise choice there."

The inquest is scheduled to continue Thursday.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 p.m. and midnight ET).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.

If you're worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them about it, says the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs: 

• Suicidal thoughts.
• Substance abuse.
• Purposelessness.
• Anxiety.
• Feeling trapped.
• Hopelessness and helplessness.
• Withdrawal.
• Anger.
• Recklessness.
• Mood changes.