'I'm never going to give up': Inquest into Jordan Lafond's death coming

Not knowing. For Charmaine Dreaver that's almost the most painful part. She describes the last year of her life as stumbling blindly in the dark, looking for answers.

In was in the early hours of Oct. 23, 2016 that her son, Jordan Lafond, was in a stolen vehicle that was involved in a high-speed police chase in Saskatoon. After the vehicle crashed, Lafond was taken into custody.

He later died in hospital.

Since then, Dreaver has lived with questions. What lead to the crash? What was her son doing in that stolen truck that night? How badly hurt was he when a police officer used his knee subdue him?

More importantly, did the injuries from the crash kill him? Or was it something else?

"It's been so hard not knowing or getting answers," Dreaver said Tuesday, sitting in the living room of her apartment. A nearby wall is adorned with photos of Jordan Lafond and his daughter when she was a newborn. 

"[Not] knowing what exactly happened and who did what that night, or how did he feel that night and what did he go through? It's been hard, but we've been patient."

Now, a year after her son died, she may be closer to getting some of those answers. 

Provincial officials have confirmed there are plans to launch an inquest into Jordan Lafond's death. Dreaver said she was informed of plans for the inquest this week. 

"It's been a really really tough year. Hard, but we worked hard to make sure he's heard and we are getting to closure to for his story to be heard and told. I'm never going to give up," she said.

Dreaver hopes the inquest will shed light on what happened in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 2016.

Story about crash changed

According to police, Lafond was the passenger in a stolen truck driving on Saskatoon's west side that morning. Officers say they spotted the truck and a police chase ensued. The chase ended when the truck crashed into a fence near Bethlehem Catholic High School.

The driver of the truck, 20-year-old Reece Terrance Fiddler, fled the scene. He was arrested a short while later. 

Lafond, according to police, was found underneath the wheel of the stolen truck, badly injured. An initial news release said Lafond was "fatally injured as a result of the collision." Fiddler, the driver, was initially charged with dangerous driving causing death. 

Over the coming hours and days, that story changed. 

More than two weeks afer the chase, then-police Chief Clive Weighill revealed that officers believed Lafond was resisting arrest. Weighill acknowledged that an officer used his knee to subdue Lafond and that he was handcuffed. 

He died later in hospital. At the time, the police chief could not say whether the officer's use of force contributed to Lafond's death. An investigation was launched and the arresting officer was put on administrative leave. 

But at the trial for Fiddler, the family's suspicion that there was more to Jordan's story gained momentum. The charge of dangerous of driving causing death was reduced. "We weren't in a position to prove that the accident — or the collision, in this case — caused the death," the Crown prosecutor said.

'Who do you trust?'

For Dreaver and other family members, losing Lafond was extremely difficult. 

They say he was a hard worker, a new father and an outgoing member of the family. 

For Grace Lafond-Barr, the questions surrounding her grandson's death have left a feeling of deep unease. 

"Having that fear, you know, of your own community. Who do you trust? The police, you know, are supposed to be working for the people," she said. 

Dreaver and Lafond-Barr say most days it's difficult to look beyond their grief, to look at the larger picture of what Jordan Lafond's death might mean. 

They say people who dismiss the case because he was a passenger in a stolen vehicle lack compassion and understanding. They try every day to block out that negativity and focus on getting to the truth of what happened to him.

This week, the family held a vigil for Lafond. Because of the pending inquest, they are hesitant to lay blame. At the vigil they shared memories and thoughts of their family member, who Dreaver says is never far from her thoughts. 

They hope something can be learned from his case when all the details are known.

"I believe something good will come of this. The loss of Jordan will not be without something. Something good will come out of it, but our greatest loss is him," Lafond-Barr said. 

The Saskatoon Police Service said the officer involved in Jordan's arrest is back in rotation and is no longer on administrative leave.

So far, there is no scheduled date for the inquest. 

Lafond-Barr says the inquest is not the last step. She wants meaningful change.

"What good is an inquest going to do for my grandson unless [there] is actually action, for not only Jordan but for all the people who are losing their kids, losing their loved ones?" she said.