Inquests called into fatal shootings involving police, inmate death

Inquests have been called into three fatal police shootings and a beating death at the Brandon jail.

The separate proceedings will examine the 2024 deaths of Jordan Daniel Charlie, 24, John James Kushnir, 65, Delbert Sutherland, 27, who were shot and killed by police officers in different circumstances, as well as the death of Collin Kempthorne, 44, who died in hospital after he was beaten by fellow inmates at Brandon Correctional Centre.

Charlie, who was wielding a hatchet and a utility knife, was shot by two Winnipeg police officers in the bus loop at Unicity mall on Nov. 24, 2024, after he stabbed one of the officers in the neck.

The two officers have been cleared of wrongdoing by the provincial police oversight agency, the Independent Investigation Unit.

Kushnir, who was in an agitated state, was stabbing at walls and doors on the seventh floor of North Point Douglas Manor, a 10-storey Manitoba Housing building at 817 Main St., on Oct. 2, 2024.

Kushnir approached the officers, who demanded he drop the weapons. One officer tried to use a Taser on him, but it failed, and the other officer shot him several times. The officers were also cleared of wrongdoing in his death.

In April 20, 2024,

Manitoba First Nations Police Service officers had called RCMP for help to deal with Sutherland, who was armed with a machete outside a home in Sandy Bay First Nation. He had threatened his girlfriend and family members.

Sutherland ran away from police and an RCMP officer chased him into a marsh. Sutherland was shot after he ran at the officer with the machete. The Mountie was cleared of wrongdoing.

Kempthorne was attacked by other inmates in the Brandon jail on Sept. 26, 2024. He died weeks later, on Nov. 11, after doctors discovered he had little to no brain activity after having awakened from a coma in October.

Two inmates, Jarrod Lloyd Paul and Matthew Reddaway, are charged with second-degree murder in Kempthorne’s death and have not yet stood trial. Kempthorne’s family has filed a lawsuit against the provincial government, which remains before the court.

Inquests, which are mandatory in Manitoba when a person dies in police custody or a correctional facility, are held in front of provincial court judges to determine what could have been done to prevent a death and what could prevent similar deaths.

No dates have been set.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca