More than five years after his death, a coroner’s inquest has ruled that a 32-year-old Chilliwack man died of a homicide.
Matthew Scott Causton died in the 46000-block of Christina Drive in the late night hours of May 23, 2020. The house he was in was surrounded by RCMP, including the Emergency Response Team (ERT), for reports of a “distraught male” inside.
At the time, an RCMP media liaison described the incident as “a very high-risk situation.” The following day, the case was handed over to the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO), a civilian-led oversight body responsible for conducting investigations into serious incidents that may have resulted from the actions of police officers.
The coroner’s inquest, led by coroner Kimberly Isbister, was held Nov. 12-19 at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court.
The immediate cause of death, Isbister reported in her verdict, was a gunshot wound into the right side of Causton’s chest.
The verdict, signed on Nov. 19, notes that the term homicide is a “neutral term that does not imply fault or blame.”
The coroner’s jury heard evidence through the course of the inquest, and returned four recommendations.
These include that the RCMP E-Division “consider reviewing improvements in communication technology” and “consider providing (ERT) members with equipment that can travel with officers to facilitate quicker response times.”
A third recommendation was made to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and E-Division to “consider reviewing use of drone technology to ensure the most appropriate equipment is available at all times.”
A fourth and final recommendation was to the Chief Coroner of B.C., Minister of Public Safety and solicitor general to “hold coroner’s inquests in a more timely manner.”
Under Section 18(2) of the Coroners Act, inquests are mandatory for any deaths that occur while a person was detained by or in the custody of a peace officer.
While the jury has the opportunity to make recommendations, it cannot make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.