Hearing to be held for inquest into death of man shot by Winnipeg police

A standing hearing will take place to see who can be a part of an upcoming inquest into the death of a man who was shot by police over a year ago, the province announced Monday.

The hearing will be on Apr. 6 at the Manitoba Law Courts in Winnipeg. It will give the judge a chance to question witnesses and decide who can participate in the inquest process, the province says.

On Jan. 11, 2019, Chad Williams, 26, was approached by officers of the Winnipeg Police Service and chased on foot.

When the pursuit was over, Williams was shot by police after allegedly producing a weapon when the officers confronted him.

Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service was called and police began resuscitation efforts until they arrived.  Williams received treatment at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg but died in the early morning of Jan. 12, 2019.

An autopsy later determined that Williams died from his gunshot wounds, and the death was deemed a homicide.

In September, Manitoba's police watchdog found there were no grounds to justify charges against the officers who shot Williams.

Witness accounts and surveillance footage determined Williams was holding a hatchet, and did not put it down when asked to by officers, according to the report by the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU).

Inquests probe the circumstances and events leading to deaths so it can be determined what, if anything, could be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.

Anyone can apply to be granted standing and participate in the inquest, the province said.

Those interested should contact Jeannelle Allard, inquest counsel, at 204-726-6013 or jeannelle.allard@gov.mb.ca by March 23.