Coroner's jury makes 4 recommendations for RCMP after Holdfast, Sask., shooting

A six-person coroner's jury wrapped up an inquest into the shooting death of 42-year-old Gerald Lord in Regina Sask., yesterday, making four recommendations in response to the September 2013 shooting.

The jury found Lord died as a result of gunshot wounds to his head and chest after an altercation with RCMP in a house in Holdfast, Sask., on Sept. 11 of that year. The jury said the death was a homicide.

According to the inquest report, Lord was shot and died at 10:34 p.m. CST.

• Inquest begins for Holdfast, Sask., man who died in encounter with RCMP
• Inquest set for man shot during altercation with Sask. RCMP

The four recommendations made by the jury include:

• If a rural RCMP officer is attending to a situation with the intent to arrest a suspect, they should be required to call and wait for assistance before entering a situation or making an arrest.
• The RCMP review the design of the CEW [conducted electrical weapon, or Taser] used to determine a more effective use in close quarters.
• The RCMP should review the effectiveness of the each tool on an officer's belt in a close quarter hand-to-hand situation.
• The RCMP make a review of training procedures of hand-to-hand combat in close quarters

Coroner Alma Wiebe of Saskatoon presided at the inquest.