Mom dreads wait for answers as Steven Rigby death inquest may be delayed to early 2021
Steven Rigby inquest 1 of at least 3 public fact-finding missions affected by pandemic
The coroner's inquest for a man who died after a police-involved shooting on the outskirts of Saskatoon may be delayed to early 2021, according to a letter obtained by CBC News.
The inquest into the death of Steven Rigby is one of a number of Saskatchewan inquests that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inquests are meant to publicly establish the circumstances surrounding a person's death and prevent similar deaths in the future. They are not legal findings of blame.
Rigby, 27, died on Dec. 22, 2018, after what the Saskatoon Police Service called an "officer-involved shooting."
Rigby's mother, Carey Rigby-Wilcox, previously said her son had talked of committing "suicide by cop".
But Rigby-Wilcox is still in the dark about the exact circumstances of Rigby's death, she said in an interview this week.
The delay to finding out answers is "heartbreaking," she said.
"We have no facts. We have no knowledge," Rigby-Wilcox said. "We just have no information on what happened to Steven. And it's really hard for my whole family, for our grieving.
"It's like an open wound."
'Unfortunate but necessary' delay
According a police release issued the day after Rigby's death, "He was reported to be driving a vehicle heading toward Saskatoon while making threats to harm himself and law enforcement officers and was in possession of a handgun....Officers perceived a threat and engaged. He was transported to hospital where he was declared deceased."
The Saskatoon Police Service has not clarified whether its officers' shots hit Rigby.
Rigby-Wilcox said she still doesn't know if her son fired his gun during the encounter with Saskatoon police, or if police officers fired their weapons at him.
She may not know for some time.
Rigby-Wilcox received a letter from Justice Minister Don Morgan dated April 27, which she shared with CBC News. According to the letter, the chief coroner, Clive Weighill, had hoped to have the inquest in late 2020.
"However, because of the postponement of scheduled inquests due to the pandemic, Steven's inquest may be delayed until early 2021," the letter stated.
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Two days before his death, Rigby was discharged from a Saskatoon mental health centre despite warning signs, including a recent suicide attempt and medically documented talk of "provoking police to shoot him."
Brian Pfefferle, the lawyer who will represent Rigby-Wilcox during the inquest, said the inquest could be useful in addressing policies affecting people with mental illness. The process could prevent future deaths, he said.
"The fixing of a date for this hearing needs to also consider the safety and well-being of the participants, including the jurors," Pfefferle added. "Many people have been negatively affected by the global pandemic. Those seeking answers to these important issues are in no different a situation than many. It is an unfortunate but necessary decision to adjourn and postpone these types of cases."
Investigation into shooting completed
On Wednesday, the police service confirmed its major crimes section wrapped up the investigation into Rigby's death "a number of months ago."
"This investigation has since been forwarded to the Crown and the investigation observer for their review," a police spokesperson added, although exactly when Crown lawyers took over the file is unclear.
Typically, Crown lawyers review a file for signs of criminal wrongdoing. In the absence of such signs — or once a criminal proceeding has wrapped — an inquest can be called.
The coroners service usually publicly announces an inquest two weeks to one month in advance.
2 other inquests delayed
Two other inquests have already been delayed.
The inquests previously scheduled this year for two men — Otto Hansen, who died as an inmate at Saskatoon's Regional Psychiatric Centre, and Daniel Tokarchuk, who died after being found unresponsive in his cell at Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert — have been "postponed due to [the] pandemic" and will be rescheduled "at a later date," according to a schedule posted to the coroner's service website.
"We are currently working on a satisfactory method to hold public inquests," a ministry spokesperson said Wednesday. "We cannot confirm any dates at this time."
Last week, the ministry confirmed there are no plans to hold an inquest into the death of Cornell Henry, a Saskatoon Correctional Centre inmate who died 10 days after a guard mishandled his private file. The file wound up in other inmates' hands and two inmates beat Henry in his cell.
The ministry said the objectives of a coroner's inquest had already been fulfilled during the sentencing of two men charged in Henry's death.
No formal trials took place, however, meaning there was no cross-examination of witnesses, as happens during inquests.
If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts or having a mental health crisis, there is help out there.
For an emergency or crisis situation, call 911.
You can also contact the Saskatchewan suicide prevention line toll-free, 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566, the Regina Mobile Crisis Services suicide line at 306-525-5333 or Saskatoon mobile crisis line at 306-933-6200.
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