Inquest into 2015 police shooting of Hudson Brooks begins with emotional testimony from his mother

Police shooting from 2015 reviewed in inquest Hudson Brooks was shot nine times by a Mountie outside the South Surrey RCMP detachment early in the morning on July 18, 2015.

Vancouver — Jennifer Brooks describes her 20-year-old son, Hudson, as a free-spirited animal lover who loved to spend time at the beach.

“To lose Hudson was like losing a limb. I cannot function or think," she told the jury Monday at the B.C. Coroners Service's inquest into her son’s death. “A mother should never have to live without her child.”

Hudson Brooks was shot nine times by a Mountie outside the South Surrey RCMP detachment early in the morning on July 18, 2015.

Const. Elizabeth Cucheran was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in December 2017, but those charges have been stayed.

Sgt. Stuart Gray was last to take the stand on the first day of the inquest. He described responding to a call about a suicidal male, and said he saw a man sprint towards his police cruiser before Gray had a chance to leave the property.

“He was yelling, ‘Kill me, kill you,'" Gray testified. “He then head-butted the window."

“I was surprised that the glass was holding,” he added, describing the force the man used to hit the window with his head.

Gray testified he called for back-up and then heard a series of "pops." When he got out of his car, he saw Const. Cucheran fall over, and the man was on top of her.

Gray said he pulled out his pepper spray and used it on the man.

“I believe the pepper spray had an effect and the male reared-up,” he recalled.

Asked at the inquest if he knew the man had been shot, Gray responded “not at the time.” But he did remember hearing Cucheran say: “I think I’m shot. I think I’m shot."

Cucheran is the first witness schedule to speak when the inquest resumes Tuesday.