Sask. police testify suspect’s gun was not loaded, as inquest into 2022 police shooting of Ryan Booker continues

WATCH: As Sierra D’Souza Butts reports, day two of an inquest into the 2022 fatal police shooting of Ryan Booker saw several officers testify.

A coroner’s inquest into the fatal police shooting of a Moose Jaw man continued in Regina on Tuesday with the jury hearing from six police officers who shared their recollections of the events leading up to the death of Ryan Booker.

The 26-year-old died on July 17, 2022, after police responded to reports of a man with a gun in the parking lot of a Moose Jaw Superstore.

The first witness from the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) told the jury Booker failed to comply with removing his keys from the vehicle, leading him to flee onto Highway 1 - eventually stopping near Belle Plaine.

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It was around 3 a.m. that morning when Booker pulled over to the side of the highway while on the phone with Staff Sgt. Kevin Pilsworth – the primary negotiator at the time of the incident for MJPS’s crisis negotiators team.

Pilsworth described his conversation with Booker as “fairly calm,” testifying that Booker agreed to pull over.

However, the discussion soon became more erratic when Booker spotted the Regina Police Service’s SWAT team at the scene.

“Anytime I thought I was making headway into the conversation, he would get upset and spiral back to asking about his girlfriend,” Pilsworth told the jury.

Pilsworth added that Booker possessing a gun during the stand-off was the “biggest hurdle” when talking him down, giving negotiators less options to work with.

When asked by the inquest counsel if he had any recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, Pilsworth said he has no suggestions as he believes Booker was “closure motivated” – as officers at the time believed Booker was prepared to harm himself through police actions.

“For this particular incident, I think I used all of the tools in my toolbox as part of negotiations,” Pilsworth noted, emotionally. “… I wrap my brain over and over again on what we could do differently. I guess we don’t know yet.”

Shortly after Booker stopped on the highway, two tactical armoured vehicles boxed him in – both drivers being emergency response members.

After a six-hour stand-off with officers, a shot was fired and Booker was killed.

When police cleared the vehicle, RCMP Cst. Braeden Loney told the jury they discovered that the long gun Booker had been carrying was not loaded.

Booker’s family members, who were present during Tuesday’s proceedings, were visibly emotional as officers described the final hours of his life.

Five more witnesses are scheduled to appear at the inquest before wrapping up by Friday.

Once testimony concludes, the jury can then offer recommendations - with the aim of preventing similar deaths in the future.