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Coroner’s inquest begins into 2020 police shooting of Indigenous woman in N.B.

May 16, 2022 | 10:24 AM

FREDERICTON — A jury of three women and two men has been chosen in the coroner’s inquest into the death of Chantel Moore — a 26-year-old Indigenous woman fatally shot during a wellness check by police in Edmundston, N.B.

At the start of proceedings this morning, coroner Emily Caissy said the inquest is not a trial and is not intended to assign blame for the June 4, 2020 shooting.

Instead, the jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future.   

Police say an intoxicated Moore was shot on the balcony outside her apartment after reportedly approaching an officer with a knife.   

T.J. Burke, the lawyer for Moore’s family, stated outside the inquest today that the Edmundston police force lacked the tools to de-escalate the situation without using deadly force, and he plans to file a lawsuit against the city and the officer on Tuesday.   

Five days have been set aside for the inquest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2022.

The Canadian Press