An inquest will be held to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of a 30-year-old Indigenous man who was killed after an encounter with Ottawa police officers over seven years ago. Gregory Ritchie was shot several times by two Ottawa Police Service officers outside the Elmvale Acres Shopping Centre on Jan. 31, 2019. Ritchie later died in hospital. Ritchie was a member of the Saugeen First Nation and had struggled with mental health issues, according to his family. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit, the independent agency that investigates incidents involving police that resulted in death or serious injury, determined there were no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against the officers involved. Four years after Ritchie’s death, a lawsuit filed by his relatives was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. An inquest into Ritchie’s death will investigate the circumstances surrounding his death and may make recommendations aimed a preventing further deaths. The inquest is mandatory under the Coroners Act. The date and venue for the inquest will be released at a later date. With files from The Canadian Press
