Emotional opening address at inquest looking into police shooting death of former tennis pro

CTV’s Nick Paparella reports on the inquest into the London police shooting death of Justin Bourassa.

An inquest heard how a break and enter investigation turned deadly after two London police officers were looking for suspects in the Mill and St. George streets area in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2021.

The constables mistakenly suspected Justin Bourassa, 29, of Sarnia, who they spotted walking downtown going in between commercial buildings. As they tried to arrest and handcuff him, an altercation ensued.

While Bourassa placed one of the officers in a chokehold, the other one shot him once.

The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) looked into the matter and eventually cleared the two constables of any wrongdoing.

The jury heard days after the shooting, three men gave themselves up to London police. They told investigators that they had been out in the area on the night in question with a ladder and tools stealing street signs rather than breaking into homes.

At the start of the inquest, Bourassa’s mother Lorraine Sabourin-Bourassa made an emotional opening address, describing her son as having a kind and gentle demeanor.

She said when they got the news of his death, she said, “It felt like we were in a horror movie, one that we never chose to be a part of.”

She added, “The grief is constant and his absence is felt every single moment.”

In a narrative read into the inquest, the jury heard more about Bourassa’s background.

He was a former tennis pro who had some mental health struggles and his parents sought help for him.

“On October 2, 2021, Justin was suspended as a member of the Sarnia Tennis Club and at some point that fall, Justin began living outdoors in a tent,” the inquest narrative read.

Although he never had a criminal record, he did have physical interactions with police in other jurisdictions while out riding his bicycle.

Just weeks before the London shooting and during an arrest, it read, “According to the officer, Justin allegedly yelled, ‘Do you do jujitsu? I do jujitsu! Try and throw me, come on, throw me!’”

The first witness called was Dr. Edward Tweedie, a forensic pathologist who examined Bourassa’s body.

He found no drugs or alcohol in his system and concluded that the wound was in close range, “The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the neck and chest.”

The jury is expected to make recommendations at the end of all the submissions to help prevent future similar incidents.

The inquest is slated to last until May 12.