Sister of Haida Elder shot by Surrey police supports inquest results

The sister of a Haida Elder who died after being shot by Surrey RCMP officers during a wellness check hopes the recommendations issued by a Coroner’s inquest jury this week will be taken seriously by the provincial government.

Ruby Marks spoke out after the jury wrapped up the inquest this week into the 2022 shooting death of Jimmie Johannesson, 61 (pictured above).

RCMP and a civilian entered Johannesson’s home and, after a brief exchange, he ran at them with a knife. He was then shot five times.

“I wish the police officers involved would have taken the time to get more background information about Jimmie’s mental health before entering his home,” Marks said. “I wish they would have taken the time to call his cell phone first. I keep thinking if the Mental Health Outreach Team had been more involved in developing the response plan, maybe my brother would still be here. Overall, I am happy with the jury recommendations. There needs to be more collaboration with First Nations when it comes to police reform. I hope the government implements these recommendations in a meaningful way to prevent future harms.”

Here are the seven recommendations the inquest jury made to the province:

Review the Provincial Policing Standards to ensure standards and training require police to conduct ongoing risk assessments throughout mental health wellness checks, including where there are threats to public safety such as firearms.

Review the Provincial Policing Standards to ensure standards and training require police officers to be aware of the circumstances in which lethal overwatch is required when conducted energy weapons are used.

Review the Provincial Policing Standards to ensure standards and training consider the presence of civilians during wellness checks where there are elements of risk.

Review the Provincial Policing Standards to ensure standards and training for mental health outreach officers integrate standardized mental health training.

Review the Provincial Policing Standards to ensure officers involved in a matter investigated by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) are aware of recommendations provided in the IIO’s public report.

Review the Provincial Policing Standards to include the facilitation of meetings between law enforcement agency leadership and involved officers in order to discuss IIO recommendations and determine if further internal policies need to be developed and/or revised.

Identify supports for Indigenous individuals with intersectional barriers while navigating applications for housing.

The BC Civil Liberties Association says that testimony during the inquest shows that the police officers involved did not adequately use the tools and resources at their disposal when they were dispatched.

“The inquest revealed that when Jimmie’s probation officer contacted Surrey RCMP to conduct a wellness check on April 8, 2022, officers made no attempt to contact the probation officer for crucial background information that could have informed their response during the 13-minute window from dispatch to arriving at Jimmie’s residence,” said a statement from the group. “After arriving on site, the officers took minimal time to plan their approach to entering the home.”

The group says that two members of the Police Mental Health Outreach Team “who arrived after the initial responding officers testified that, despite having this crucial mental health resource available, they did not contribute to, nor did they have any influence on, the plan already in place.”

The Independent Investigations Office of BC issued an investigative report, finding no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence.  

“For many people, the very presence of a police officer is a form of escalation,” said Latoya Farrell, Policy Staff Counsel, BC Civil Liberties Association. “It is far easier to escalate the use of force than to de-escalate once tensions are high. Jimmie was already in a heightened state of mental health crisis. There were several actions the officers could have taken first to better inform their response, but they didn’t. It was incumbent on these officers to consider how their presence in Jimmie’s home would increase the stress of the situation. It took 23 seconds between the time Surrey RCMP entered Jimmie’s home and the time he was killed. No one should die because of a wellness check.”