More Advanced Life Support units and further communications training - those are the recommendations coming from the jury in this week's coroner's inquest into the death of Ryan Jacob.
For three days, presiding coroner Margaret Janzen and a five-person jury heard testimony from officials regarding the 2013 shooting death of 45-year-old Jacob, son of Squamish First Nation Chief Gilbert "Gibby" Jacob, near the intersection of Hastings Street and MacDonald Avenue in Burnaby.
Burnaby Cpl. William Wark was one of the officials who testified at the inquest. He told Janzen and the jury that at first he thought Jacob was going to comply with his orders. Jacob instead pulled out two knives and began approaching Wark, despite repeated orders to get down on the ground, according to Wark's testimony.
Jacob was shot three times in the chest and died in hospital.
On Wednesday, the jury announced two recommendations following the inquest, which began on Monday.
To the Minister of Health, the jury recommended that the ministry, in partnership with B.C. Ambulance Service, consider adding more Advanced Life Support units to the Lower Mainland.
The jury also recommended that the Burnaby RCMP include, in the training of its members, "specific instruction on the working of their communication equipment, specifically concentrating on the matter of queuing during emergency situations," a release from the coroner service read.
According to Sgt. Rob Vermeulen, spokesperson for B.C. RCMP, the RCMP take recommendations from the B.C. Coroners Service "very seriously."
In an email to the NOW, Vermeulen said all recommendations are reviewed by the criminal operations branch of the RCMP and researched in conjunction with stakeholders. Written responses for all recommendations are then sent to the coroner.
According to Vermeulen, the RCMP have "to be mindful that any recommendation made could potentially impact on all RCMP resources in B.C. and may require additional significant training, infrastructure and finances, or may have complex legal challenges associated to any implementation."
"We work very closely with the B.C. Coroners Service and are committed to initiatives, recommendations and improved communication between all stakeholders that would allow us to continue to be the best policing service that B.C. citizens expect and deserve," Vermeulen said in the email.
- With files from the Province
