The jury in the coroner's inquest into the 2012 death of a man following a police stand-off came back with several recommendations earlier this week. The jury delivered its verdict late Tuesday afternoon in Burnaby after hearing more than a week of testimony. Mehrdad Bayrami, 48, died after he was shot by Delta police Const. Jordan MacWilliams outside the Starlight Casino in New Westminster.
Following deliberations, the five-person jury came back with a number of recommendations around public awareness and education on mental health, improving access to services and reducing the stigma around mental illness.
The jury recommended police services in the province create a system to flag and automatically initiate a review of multiple calls or files relating to a single person with the goal of initiating intervention, if needed. It was also recommended all police emergency response teams establish a formal agreement with a number of psychologists to support negotiators during incidents.
The jury also recommended the Ministry of Health create a directory of mental health early intervention services available to both medical professionals and the public and that the Ministry of Education create a curriculum for kindergarten through to Grade 12 that addresses mental health issues.
A coroner's inquest is usually required when a death occurs while a person is in police custody and involves a jury of between five and seven people and a presiding coroner. The inquest is not a trial to determine guilt, or find fault, but to determine the facts surrounding a death and allow the jury to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.
MacWilliams was a member of the Municipal Integrated Emergency Response Team at the time and was one of several officers that responded to the call of a domestic disturbance at the New West casino on the morning of Nov. 8, 2012.
MacWilliams was initially charged with second degree murder following an investigation by the Independent Investigations Office. Last July, the Criminal Justice Branch announced it was staying the charge.
A civil suit launched by Bayrami's daughter was also dismissed late last year.
The jury heard from a number of witnesses, including psychologists who had spoken to police negotiators that morning, several officers who were also part of the emergency response team, MacWilliams and Bayrami's daughter.
