Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Saskatchewan

Family feels frustration after inquest

Melvin Bigsky's family is not happy with the results of an inquest into his death, and is considering a lawsuit of its own.
CBC News ·

Melvin Bigsky's family is not happy with the results of an inquest into his death, and is considering a lawsuit of its own.

Bigsky was shot and killed by an RCMP constable after a roadside altercation outside Saskatoon a year and a half ago.

Recommendations:
  • encourage police to remove keys from suspected drunk drivers at beginning of traffic stop
  • investigate possibility of alternate, less lethal weapons (such as the Taser)
  • install video cameras in all patrol cars
  • review policy on number of officers per patrol car
  • review policy on dispatching backup for officers
  • increase training for dispatchers when it comes to assessing emergency situations
  • increase training on defensive tactics for officers
  • encourage public to cooperate with police
  • train all officers in first aid and CPR
  • include at least one aboriginal officer in every detachment in the province
  • encourage public to stop vehicles immediately when requested by police

A coroner's jury on Monday made 11 recommendations targeting RCMP policy. They included adding cameras to police cruisers and hiring more aboriginal officers.

Lawyer Ron Piche says those recommendations offer little comfort to the Bigsky family, and as a result, he will now be examining the possibility of a lawsuit.

"We'll review that, we'll review the facts," Piche says.

"We've had a full airing. We've had an opportunity to cross-examine all the witnesses under oath and it was a very good opportunity for us to make a decision whether we go forward with this," Piche explains.

Piche says he'll consult with the Bigsky family over the next couple of weeks. The RCMP says it will consider all of the jury's recommendations.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|