An inquest into the fatal police shooting of a fugitive in Peterborough, Ont., four years ago will be held this September, according to the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
William (Billy) Shea, 27, died on July 23, 2019, following a standoff with both the Peterborough Police Service and Peterborough County OPP.
READ MORE: SIU clears Peterborough police officer following fatal shooting of fugitive in July 2019
Dr. Paul Dungey, regional supervising coroner for the East Region Kingston officer, will lead the five-day inquest beginning Sept. 5. The inquest into his death is mandatory under the Coroners Act.
The Special Investigations Unit, Ontario’s police watchdog, in June 2020 cleared police of any wrongdoing in the incident, which began as an OPP pursuit of a stolen red Mustang convertible from Millbrook, Ont., just south of the city.
OPP had suspected the vehicle had been involved in crime in the Barrie area.
The pursuit headed north into the city when the car crashed into a SUV, injuring the driver. According to the SIU, Shea was then involved in a standoff with both police forces during which he “raised a shotgun and pointed it at police officers.”
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That’s when a city police officer shot him. Shea was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead, the SIU reported.
The SIU recovered a triple-barrelled shotgun and three live gunshells at the scene.
Shea was a federal parolee who was also a suspect in a gunpoint convenience store in Hamilton a week earlier before his death. The SIU noted he was facing three charges of robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent and being unlawfully at large.
The OPP’s repeat offender parole enforcement (ROPE) squad had noted Shea had breached his statutory release after serving a five-year sentence for multiple counts of robbery and vehicle theft.
The inquest will be conducted by video conference at this link and is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5. Haniya Sheikh will be the presiding officer and Kim Motyl will be inquest counsel.
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