Jury deliberations underway in coroner's inquest into 2015 police shooting death of Beau Baker

The jury in a coroner's inquest is now deliberating over recommendations it can make in the 2015 fatal police shooting of Beau Baker in Kitchener.

Baker was 20 years old when he was shot and killed by a Waterloo Regional Police Services officer outside an apartment complex at 77 Brybeck Cres. An inquest into Baker's death is mandatory under the Coroners Act. 

The officer's actions were found to be legally justified by the Special Investigation Unit.

Baker was armed with a knife when officers responded to a 911 call he made saying he would harm himself and others.

Beau Baker, 20, was shot and killed by a Waterloo Regional Police Service officer in April 2015 outside Bakers' home on Brybeck Crescent in Kitchener, Ont. Baker had called 911 threatening to kill himself and harm others. Baker's family has said he had "documented mental health issues." Ontario's police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, said there were no reasonable grounds to charge the officer in Baker's death

An inquest into Baker's death is mandatory under the Ontario Coroners Act. The inquest into Baker's death began on March 20, 2023 and is being held virtually out of Toronto. The jury in a coroner's inquest makes recommendations to prevent future similar deaths. Read all of CBC's coverage of the coroner's inquest here.

The inquest began March 20 and has been held online.

The jury has heard from various experts. They were told Baker was dealing with mental health problems and in the year before his death, he visited emergency departments in Waterloo region 26 times for suicide ideation, suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self injuries.

Waterloo Regional Police Service Staff Supt. John Goodman told the inquest that while even today, the call would be handled by police as a criminal matter until it was safe enough to bring a crisis worker into the situation, he recommended that more funding needs go to diversion program or mental health responses.

The jury will not make a judgment of guilt. Instead, it can make recommendations to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances.

Address to jury

Dr. David Eden is presiding over the inquest and charged the jury Thursday afternoon.

"I was struck by the evidence about the serious mental disorder that Mr. Baker experienced and as a physician, I will say I support the recommendations [from witnesses] that are there to ensure that medical care, health care and other supports are available for people like Beau Baker," Eden told the jury.

"The physician side of me encourages you to make recommendations in those areas."

He also told the jury they have a "unique opportunity" to take what they've heard and make recommendations so society as a whole can provide the "best possible care in future to people like Mr. Baker and so prevent another family from experiencing a death like his."