Inquest into death of Vancouver police officer Nicole Chan to begin Monday

A long-awaited public inquest into the death of a Vancouver police officer, who died by suicide four years ago, is set to begin on Monday.

Const. Nicole Chan served with the Vancouver Police Department for nine years before she took her own life in 2019.

Multiple witnesses are set to provide testimony, but two key names are missing from the list: former VPD sergeants Greg McCullough and David Van Patten.

Chan had previously filed complaints about inappropriate relationships with the two senior officers, who are no longer with the department.

Chan’s sister, Jenn Chan, is expected to be the first witness to testify Monday.

“She was just such a proud officer,” Jenn Chan told Global News soon after her sister’s death.

“She was proud of her work and she was proud of being able to speak out for victims.”

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Jenn Chan said her sister was struggling with anxiety and depression when she came forward and made a complaint to the chief in 2017 about inappropriate relationships concerning Van Patten and McCullough.

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Van Patten was ultimately dismissed. McCullough was suspended and later retired.

“I believe that she felt pressured into it and was not in a good mental state to tell them no. She felt she couldn’t say no to them,” Jenn Chan said.

Last year, the Chan family launched a civil suit against multiple parties, including the VPD, alleging Nicole Chan was sexually assaulted and sexually harassed and her workplace had insufficient policies to protect her.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The public inquest will work to determine the facts surrounding her death and make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.

For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention at suicideprevention.ca.

Learn more about preventing suicide with these warning signs and tips on how to help.

— with files from Global BC’s Elizabeth McSheffrey.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said former Sgt. Greg McCullough resigned from the VPD. In fact, he retired.

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