Seven years since he was shot and killed by a Waterloo regional police officer, family and friends of Beau Baker continue to wait for an inquest into his death.
The 20-year-old Kitchener man was fatally shot on April 2, 2015.
Baker called 911 and threatened to kill himself and harm others – including police and paramedics – and warned the dispatcher he had a knife that police would have to take from him by force.
An officer responded to an apartment at 77 Brybeck Crescent in Kitchener and found Baker outside, holding a knife.
An SIU investigation determined the officer pulled his firearm and ordered Baker 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.
The family said Baker was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time of his death and called for a coroner’s inquest in 2016, but a date was never set.
“Seven years is too long to wait for an inquest,” said Greg Thornton, a long time friend of Beau Baker. “We’re still here, we’re still looking for answers.”
As of Saturday, the Office of the Chief Coroner website lists the inquest into Baker’s death as postponed, in alignment with Ontario’s strategy to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The group signed a letter to the Office of the Chief Coroner, asking for the process to move forward.
“Justice delayed is justice denied”, Thornton said. “Justice shouldn’t be prioritized for anybody. Everybody deserves justice regardless of circumstance.”
A spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Coroner sent the following statement to CTV News:
“The inquest team is working to secure dates that work for all the parties involved into the inquest of the death of Beau Baker. The dates will be announced via press release once finalized.”
Baker’s friends and family said the inquest into his death could shine a light on mental health crisis calls and change how emergency responders handle each specific situation. Thornton said he hopes an eventual inquest could also bring him and the family closure.
