A date has been set for a coroner’s inquest into the death of a 33-year-old man fatally shot by Windsor, Ont., police four years ago.
Beginning Sept. 12, the inquest into the death of Matthew Mahoney will hear from 18 witnesses and is expected to last 10 days.
On March 21, 2018, Mahoney died in hospital after he was shot seven times by police responding to reports of a man carrying a butcher block of knives in the area of Goyeau Street and Wyandotte Street.
Upon investigation, the Special Investigations Unit (SUI) ruled the use of force was justified by police, saying Mahoney ignored multiple requests to drop a knife he had removed from the block and slashed an officer’s hand.
In a recent statement from the Ministry of the Solicitor General, an inquest into Mahoney’s death is mandatory under the Coroners Act.
“The purpose of the inquest is to examine the circumstances surrounding Mr. Mahoney’s death,” read the statement. “Once all parties with standing have the opportunity to present their information and ask questions of the witnesses, the jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths from occurring in similar circumstances.”
The inquest is set to be conducted over a video conference open to the public.