Inquest into death of Kitchener man shot and killed by police begins
Nearly eight years after 20-year-old Beau Baker was shot and killed by a Waterloo regional police officer, an inquest into the Kitchener man’s death is now getting underway.
Baker was fatally shot outside his Brybeck Crescent apartment on April 2, 2015.
The inquest, which is being held by video conference, started Monday morning. It’s expected to last two weeks and will include testimony from approximately 16 witnesses.
The officer who shot Baker was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in 2015.
At the end of this inquest, the jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths under similar circumstances, but there is no charge or allegation to be proven or disproven and no one is on trial.
FATAL SHOOTING
On Monday morning, the jury heard information about how Baker died.
On the evening of April 2, 2015, Baker called 911 and threatened to kill himself and harm others, including police and paramedics, the SIU found.
He warned the dispatcher he had a knife that police would have to take from him by force.
The SIU determined an officer pulled his gun, pointed it at Baker and ordered him to drop the knife.
Baker refused and began moving forward, threatening to stab the officer.
The officer fired his weapon seven times, hitting Baker with a fatal shot to his mid-abdomen.
Baker’s family said he was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time of his death.
The family called for a coroner’s inquest in 2016, but it has taken until now for one to begin.
The first witness accounts occurred Monday afternoon.
JURY SHOWN VIDEO
On the first day, a jury was shown a video of Baker recording himself the night of the shooting.
In it, he could be heard saying, “Baker, before he goes to jail, gets killed, or goes to the psych ward because I’m going to stab a cop and I’m going to try.”
Later, Baker could be heard during a phone call with 911 threatening to kill himself and harm others – including police and paramedics – warning the dispatcher he had a knife that police would have to take from him by force.
On the call, he said “I know I need help. I know I need to be apprehended."
The call ended when the first officer arrived outside the apartment building.
The jury heard an audio recording of Baker’s female roommate.
She explained Baker was outside with a knife, and an officer was asking him to put it down.
She said “Beau said don’t come any closer.”
The jury also heard an interview with Baker's other roommate, who said the first officer to arrive drew his gun and told Baker not to move.
The roommate said, “Beau just moved one foot. And he started opening fire on him.”
The roommate said despite Baker threatening to stab the police, he never thought he would do it.
Adding: “I already know for a fact he wasn’t going to do it because Beau isn’t that kind of guy. Especially when he’s drunk, he’s not violent at all.”
In the final recording played Monday, a neighbour said he saw Baker with his hands held out like a cross while saying something about stabbing the officers.
He said Baker took three steps forward, but there was a fairly large snowbank separating him and an officer, so he was surprised when the shots were fired.
The neighbour said Baker “wasn’t running. He wasn’t charging at them. He was literally standing there with his arms out calling them on.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.