Ontario officers arrive in Corner Brook to probe police shooting of Jorden McKay
CBC News | Posted: November 29, 2018 3:38 PM | Last Updated: November 29, 2018
Tributes pour in online for young Corner Brook father, who died after shot by on-duty RNC officer
Members of the Ontario Provincial Police have arrived in Corner Brook to investigate the officer-involved shooting death of Jorden McKay.
CBC News has learned McKay, 27, was the man who was shot and killed by an on-duty member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary on Tuesday night.
Friends and family of McKay, who has a criminal record and has had encounters with police before, have been posting tributes to the young man online.
A member of McKay's family told CBC News late Thursday afternoon they have issues with the police reportedly providing specifics to media before telling the family.
They plan on making those concerns public in the days to come.
Social media posts suggest McKay was a father to two young children.
"He was energetic, spontaneous and had a huge heart," said cousin Amy Connolly.
"He was creative and loved music. He enjoy people and talking and being surrounded."
Connolly said McKay was a man who loved his family, and was "truly trying hard to better himself but the systems designed to help often crippled him."
A spokesperson from the OPP provided few details Thursday, only to say investigators left Ontario for Newfoundland on Wednesday night, and the investigation is in its preliminary stages.
According to RNC Chief Joe Boland, two on-duty officers arrived at a home on Carriage Lane around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, responding to a criminal complaint.
Court documents list the residence as McKay's home.
McKay had a four-page criminal record, including charges of assault, unlawfully being in a dwelling, and breaches. The most serious incidents were convictions of assault with a weapon.
He was scheduled to appear in provincial court in Corner Brook on Jan. 7 on multiple charges.
Court documents show McKay was charged Sunday with assaulting a woman and breaching a court condition. He was also charged in April with assaulting that same woman.
On Thursday afternoon, a friend launched a Go Fund Me campaign to help the family with funeral expenses.
2 officers on leave
Boland, who did not answer questions from members of the media, has not disclosed what the complaint was, or the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
During the investigation, Boland said, a confrontation began between the officers and McKay, and one of the officers drew his weapon.
McKay died an hour later in hospital.
The two officers involved have been placed on leave and will be assigned to administrative duties when they return to work while the investigation is ongoing.
Boland emphasized at the news conference Wednesday that putting an officer on leave does not speak to any possible wrongdoing.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, meanwhile, will conduct an independent, external review of the OPP's investigation, once that concludes.
An autopsy was expected to begin in St. John's on Thursday.