Inquest announced into death of Fergus man shot by OPP

A coroner’s inquest will look into the circumstances surrounding the death of a Fergus man who was shot by Ontario Provincial Police.

On Aug. 15, 2021, officers responded to a domestic disturbance call on Belsyde Avenue East.

According to the Special Investigations Unit, OPP began negotiating with the man who was hiding in a bedroom with knives. When he approached officers, they used pepper spray, conducted energy weapons and then fired a gun at the man.

Mathias Bunyan, 31, died at the scene.

His family later told CTV News that he was struggling with mental health issues and they had planned on staging an intervention with him that same week.

The OPP officer who shot Bunyan was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by the SIU in December 2021.

The coroner’s inquest will look into the events leading up to the shooting. A jury will then determine if any recommendations are needed to prevent similar deaths.