A coroner’s inquest will be held into the death of a Port Hardy man fatally shot by RCMP in 2015.
Presiding coroner Lyn Blenkinsop and a jury will hear from witnesses to piece together what happened the day James Reginald Butters, also known as James Hayward, was killed.
The 24-year-old was shot five times by a Port Hardy RCMP officer on the morning of July 8, 2015. A report by the Independent Investigations Office ruled out criminal charges against the Mountie, saying Butters ran at the officer with a knife in his hand before he was shot.
Someone had called 911 that morning because Butters was seen waving a knife and making threats. Some witnesses reported hearing an officer yell “put down the knife” several times before shots were fired.
Butters’ aunt Nora Hayward hopes the inquest will lead to recommendations that could change the way police deal with people with mental health and addiction issues.
“We can never bring James back, but we can make a change where, hopefully, this won’t happen anymore,” she said.
Hayward wonders if there was any other way for police to subdue Butters without using deadly force.
She previously told the Times Colonist that Butters was a “troubled young man” who ran afoul of the law due to a difficult childhood. His criminal record included convictions for assault, unlawful confinement, break-and-enter and robbery.
The inquest is scheduled for Aug. 20 at 9:30 a.m. at the Campbell River courthouse.
Coroner’s inquests are held when there is public interest in the circumstances surrounding the death. They do not lay blame, but act as fact-finding missions where the jury has the ability to make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
