A fatality inquiry into the death of a Calgary man who was shot and killed by police three-and-a-half years ago got underway Monday.
36-year-old Johnathan Rawlings threatened the officer with a screwdriver while he was being arrested in August of 2011.
During the altercation, Rawlings was shot four times by a senior officer with the Calgary Police Tactical.
The ordeal started with Rawlings and another man stealing a truck and driving it erratically through several Calgary neighbourhoods.
The men refused to stop for police even after a spike belt punctured two tires.
The truck eventually stopped in front of a home in Whitehorn.
According to the lead investigator into the case, Rawlings got out and confronted Cst. Jim Wilkinson with a screwdriver, claiming he had a knife.
That’s when Cst. Wilkinson fired four times.
Testimony at the inquiry revealed Rawlings was out on bail at the time and had long criminal history.
Toxicology reports show he had meth in his system as well a bag of the substance on his body.
In August of 2013, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said the officer was justified in the fatal shooting.
The inquiry will hear testimony from more officers this week.
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