Inquest into police shooting death of Felix Taqqaugaq begins in Igloolik
Man was shot in his own home after officers say he threatened them with a weapon
More than four years after Felix Taqqaugaq was shot and killed by RCMP officers in his own home, his family and the community of Igloolik, Nunavut, will get some answers starting today.
Taqqaugaq, who was 29, died March 20, 2012. A coroner's inquest into the death begins Tuesday morning in Igloolik and is scheduled to run until Nov. 11. It's a mandatory inquest since the death was police-related.
Nunavut Chief Coroner Padma Suramala will preside over the inquest, which will detail the events surrounding Taqqaugaq's death, and the findings from the subsequent investigation by the Ottawa Police Service.
The details of the investigation, which was completed last year, have not yet been made public.
In March 2012, Taqqaugaq phoned in to the community radio station in Igloolik and started ranting. Family members said he suffered from mental health issues. After the rant, someone in the community called the RCMP and police went to his house to check on him.
That's when officers say Taqqaugaq threatened them, and came at them with a weapon. An RCMP officer opened fire and Taqqaugaq died later from his wounds. One officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.