Peel police asked Jermaine Carby for ID before fatal shooting, inquest hears

The confrontation with police that cost Jermaine Carby his life back in 2014 began when an officer asked him for his identification, a coroner's inquest heard Thursday.

The 33-year-old man was a passenger in a black Volkswagen Jetta on Sept. 24, 2014 when it was pulled over by two Peel Regional Police officers during a routine traffic stop in Brampton. 

Const. Jason Senechal testified in a Brampton courthouse that he stopped the car because it had a loose licence plate, which was missing a bolt, and the vehicle's headlights were off.

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The police officer said he took a breath sample from the white driver and did a street check on the black passenger — Carby. 

Faisal Mirza, the Carby family's lawyer, suggested Senechal had no reason to ask Carby for his name and identification.

"You can understand why an African-Canadian passenger, who is just sitting there calmly, would get upset when you asked for his name and identification," Mirza said to Senechal at the inquest.

"Yes," the constable replied. 

The inquest heard that things escalated when the police officer found outstanding warrants in British Columbia under Carby's name.

Carby had depression: report

Senechal testified that when he told the 33-year-old to get out of the car, Carby became agitated and at one point shouted: "What are you going to do? ... Shoot me?"

Police say Carby pulled out a knife, began to approach police officers and ignored warnings to drop the weapon when he was shot near Queen Street and Kennedy Road. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said he was shot three times.

"The officer said he was done his highway traffic stop when he finished with the driver, so he had no reason to speak with my cousin after that," La Tanya Grant told reporters outside of the Brampton courthouse. 

"Nor did he have a reason to ask for his ID," she continued.

The coroner's report noted Carby had been suffering from mental health issues, including depression, and had been seeking treatment in hospital just days before he was killed.

In July 2015, the SIU cleared the police officers involved in the shooting of any wrongdoing.

The inquest continues Friday with the police officer who fired the fatal bullets expected to testify.