There will be an inquest into the death of Matthew Mahoney in Windsor.
Mahoney, 33, was killed during an altercation with police on March 21, 2018. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit cleared two Windsor police officers in any wrongdoing in the incident.
Cheryl Mahyr at the Office of the Chief Coroner & Ontario Forensic Pathology Service confirms to CTV Windsor that there will be an inquest into Mahoney’s death.
But in an email, Mahyr says there are “no details at this time as the planning process is just commencing.”
The SIU report says police had initially been called for a man carrying a butcher block of knives, outside of Starbucks on Ouellette and Wyandotte. Officers later located the man in an alley near McDonald’s at Wyandotte and Goyeau where a confrontation took place.
According to the report, the man ignored requests from police to drop his weapon and Mahoney slashed an officer’s hand with a knife and two officers fired their tasers and then their guns ten times.
Mahoney sustained seven gunshot wounds and died in hospital.
Mahoney’s older brother, Michael Mahoney, had called for an inquest and it was supported by Windsor police and local health officials.
“We need to have a coroner’s inquest now because the SIU report only looks at the last 15 seconds of my brother’s life,” said Mahoney in an interview with CTV Windsor last week.
Mahoney says his brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and other mental health issues.
He wanted an inquest to help shed more light on issues around mental health.
“It’s been going on for years, and this isn’t the first time and it will not be the last time,” added Mahoney.
Inquests are held in Ontario to look at how future deaths in similar circumstances could be prevented.
The victim’s families are invited to speak during an inquest.
