Jury selected for New Brunswick coroner's inquest into 2020 police killing of Rodney Levi
In a makeshift courtroom in Miramichi, N.B., five jurors were sworn in to participate in an inquest surrounding the death of Rodney Levi at the hands of the RCMP.
"It's a fact-finding mission -- a fact-exposing or revealing mission, so the public will know what actually happened," said John Evans, the presiding coroner in the inquest. He says over the coming days, the jury -- made up of two men and three women -- will hear from about 27 witnesses including members of the RCMP.
"We’ll learn from what we observe and find out during the course of this process, were there any shortfalls, was there anything that could be done differently in the future that could prevent this kind of case happening," Evans said.
The 48-year-old Levi, who was of the Metepenagiag First Nation, was shot and killed by RCMP on the evening of June 12th, 2020.
Police say they were responding to a call of an unwanted man in a home in Sunny Corner, N.B., adding when police arrived, they were confronted by a man who was carrying knives.
Levi’s killing came eight days after an Edmundston, N.B., police officer shot and killed Chantel Moore, a 26-year-old Indigenous woman, during a wellness check.
The two killings sparked dismay and anger in the province's Indigenous community along with demands for a full inquiry.
The incident was investigated by Quebec’s police watchdog, the "Bureau des Enquetes Independent," (BEI) which submitted its report to New Brunswick prosecutors in December 2020. No criminal charges were laid on any of the officers involved.
"We were never told anything," said Rhoda Levi, Rodney Levi’s sister. "BEI said they were going to tell us the information but we were never told anything."
Initially, 200 people were summoned for the inquest, but only five will make up the jury.
Kenneth Francis, an elder from the Elsipogtog First Nation, is working as an independent consultant during the hearing to assist with the jury selection. Evans says given the nature of the hearing, his goal is to help highlight indigenous representation and knowledge.
Members of Levi’s family were also in the makeshift courtroom today, along with the family’s lawyer, Alisa Lombard.
Of the five jury members selected, two are of Indigenous decent and one is married into an Indigenous family – representation that Levi’s family is happy to see.
"I was nervous," said Rhoda Levi. "I was looking around the room and I was just looking to have First Nation representation today because our First Nations people, we don’t always get a win."
Once the inquest is complete, recommendations to try and prevent similar incidents in the future will be submitted to all involved parties before then being sent to legislature for consideration.
"The implementation is the big thing," said Rhoda Levi. "I hope that the government does everything they could do to really implement that no one else is shot and killed by the RCMP."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.