An inquest into the shooting of a man in Saskatoon that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic will go ahead later this month.
Steven Rigby, 27, was killed on Dec. 22, 2018, in a confrontation with Saskatoon police.
The shooting took place two days after he was released from the Dubé Centre for Mental Health.
An inquest into Rigby’s death will take place June 21 to June 25 at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre.
Among the factors to be considered during the inquest is determining the medical cause and manner of death.
The coroner’s jury can make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Carey Rigby-Wilcox told Global News last year that she last spoke with her son while he was sitting in a car, which he later drove into the city before the confrontation with police.
She said he had mentioned committing “death by cop” — where someone is so aggressive and threatening they force a police officer to kill them in self-defence — but doesn’t know if he died by suicide or was shot by police.
Rigby-Wilcox also said she tried to film the meeting on her phone to show that her son was suicidal because, despite Steven telling people he was suicidal and making several attempts to kill himself, she said no one ever believed he was willing to end his own life.
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Documents Rigby-Wilcox gave to Global News in June 2020 show he was admitted to the emergency department of Battleford Union Hospital on Aug. 30, 2018, because he attempted suicide or had a clear suicide plan.
On a suicide risk assessment form, Steven said, “if I had a weapon right now I would use it.”
His mother said he was released 45 minutes after providing that answer.
Another form from the Dubé Centre on Dec. 19, 2018, just days before his death, states that Steven was “at acute risk of suicide” and that had “made escalating recent comments expressing suicidal intent, including provoking police to shoot him.”
Rigby-Wilcox said he was released the next day.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, please reach out. Resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.
— With files from Nathaniel Dove
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