In a statement of defence filed in French, Const. Jeremy Son says 26-year-old Chantel Moore caused her own death by walking toward a police officer, brandishing a knife and by not listening to his instructions to drop the knife.
Son and the City of Edmundston are subjects of a civil suit by Moore’s family, including her mother Martha Martin and Moore’s daughter, Gracie.
“Fearing for his life, defendant Son discharged his firearm four times in the direction of Chantel Moore, until the threat was eliminated,” the filing said, translated to English.
The suit, which has not been tested in a court of law, was filed in May 2022, and alleges negligence on the part of Son and the City of Edmundston, and that Son “demonstrated significant errors in judgment leading to Moore’s death.”
The statement of defence was filed on Jan. 18, 2023.
“The Defendants claim that Chantel Moore’s death was caused by her own actions and her negligence walking towards a police officer by brandishing a knife in his direction, as if to stab or cut him, and by not listening to instructions of the defendant Son of letting go of the knife,” the filing said, translated to English from French.
Outlines his recollection of events
It recounts Son’s recollection of what happened on June 4, 2020.
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At 2:08 a.m., he said, in the filing, he responded to a 9-1-1 call for a wellness check on Moore. He searched for her address and when he had it, got there around 2:30 a.m.
He said in the document, he walked up to the third-floor balcony and observed Moore on a couch with the TV on and she was asleep. Another police officer arrived, the filing said.
Son knocked on the window and flashed the word “police” on his vest/jacket after Moore woke up.
“Chantel Moore walked to the front door through the kitchen,” the filing said. “As she walked through the kitchen to the door, defendant Son saw Chantel Moore pick up a metal object from the kitchen counter.”
It said Son observed that Chantel Moore was frowning and appeared to be angry. He said in the filing he took a step back, “drew his firearm from its holster, but did not point it at Moore.”
It goes on to say that she opened the apartment door and “immediately brandished a knife at head height, pointing it at defendant Son, as if to stab or slash him, advancing decisively towards defendant Son.”
He said, in the filing, he repeatedly asked her to drop the knife. It said he backed up and was pinned against the balcony and she kept advancing at him.
It would be revealed through a coroner’s inquest in May 2022 that Son shot Moore four times, twice in the chest, once in the abdomen and once in the left leg.
Filing asserts ‘no negligence’
“The defendant asserts that defendant Son acted at all times reasonably in the circumstances and acted to defend himself,” the filing said.
A jury of five people through a coroner’s inquest declared Moore’s manner of death a homicide, but those findings and recommendations did not impact whether the officer could be charged.
Back in June 2022, the Crown said the evidence presented “did not establish a reasonable prospect of conviction.” It did not proceed with any criminal charges against Son.
His filing says neither he, nor the City of Edmundston, acted negligently on the night Moore was killed.
“The defendants deny any negligence on the part of the defendant Son,” the filing said. “The defendants assert that the defendant, the City of Edmundston, had in place, with respect to the Edmundston Police Force, adequate and reasonable training, procedures and policies, which it had made available to police officers.
“The necessary and adequate tools to do their job, that it adequately insured the competence of the police officers and that it had in place an adequate supervision of the police officers.”
The filing asks for the case to be dismissed, but there is no indication when the case could make it to a courtroom.
The City of Edmundston declined to comment on the case while it is before the courts.
Global News attempted to reach TJ Burke, the attorney for the family, but did not receive a response.
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