Inquest called into Winnipeg police shooting

WINNIPEG – An inquest has been called into the shooting death of an aboriginal man by Winnipeg police five years ago.

Craig Vincent McDougall, 26, was shot by police on Aug. 2, 2008, after they say he refused to drop a knife.

But some witnesses said the 26-year-old man didn’t have a knife, just a cellphone.

Police had responded to a 5 a.m. report of a disturbance on Simcoe Street.

McDougall was also zapped with a Taser electronic stun gun.

After he was shot, McDougall was taken to Health Sciences Centre, where he was pronounced dead at 6:27 a.m. He died of multiple gunshot wounds, an autopsy found.

At the time of the shooting Manitoba native leaders asked the province to hold a public inquiry into McDougall’s death, but that request was denied.

Holding an inquest into deaths involving police is mandatory.

The inquest is to determine the circumstances relating to McDougall’s death and to prevent what, if anything, can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.

No date has been set for the inquest.

— with files from Global News