Inquest begins for Holdfast, Sask., man who died in encounter with RCMP
Shooting happened in September 2013; inquest expected to finish March 11
A coroner's inquest is underway into the death of a Holdfast, Sask., man who died following an altercation with the RCMP in 2013.
Gerald Lord was 42 when he died at the village on Sept. 11 of that year. The inquest at the Regina's Queen's Bench court building began Monday and is scheduled to run until March 11.
At the time of the incident, Lord had been living in Holdfast for about seven years, after having moved from eastern Canada. He had been making his living driving trucks.
According to previous CBC reporting, police said they went to a house in the village around 10 p.m. CST while conducting a criminal investigation. That's when the altercation apparently happened.
A STARS air ambulance was called to the scene to transport Lord to hospital, but he died at the scene.
Section 19 of The Coroners Act of 1999 states that the Chief Coroner may direct that an inquest be held into the death of any person.
In addition to establishing who died, when and where the individual died, the medical cause of death and the manner of death, the coroner's jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Coroner Alma Wiebe of Saskatoon is presiding at the inquest.