Father recalls final moments of son shot, killed by police

Inquest resumes into death of man shot by police Sarah Plowman reports on the resumed inquest into the death of 26-year-old man shot by police.

The inquest into the death of 26-year-old Craig McDougall resumed Monday morning.

It was supposed to begin in August, but a witness came forward with what was said to be new information.

McDougall died after police shot him on Aug. 2, 2008.

The Crown played four 911 calls made that day.

The first caller complained about someone trying to break into a home, and mentioned two men’s names, including Craig McDougall.

When Brian McDougall, Craig’s father, took the stand lawyer Corey Shefman asked him if he recognized the voice of the caller.

“Could that have been you?” Shefman asked.

“I can’t really say I did,” Brian replied.

Earlier the father said he had come home that night to find his son Craig, his daughter and some friends. He claimed it was loud and he wanted to go to bed.

Brian said he recalled being woken up by his partner who had heard gun shots on Simcoe Street. He saw red lights of police cruisers and ran outside. When he saw his son lying on the ground, he said the police stopped him from getting to him.

“The police officer stopped me right in my tracks. He grabbed me and tackled me to the ground,” he said, putting his hand on the collar of his neck. “I told him I wanted to get up and I was there for quite a while.”

Brian said he was put into handcuffs and put into a police cruiser to be brought to the Public Safety Building. Police later told him his son Craig was shot and did not make it.

The Crown said the total interaction between police and Craig McDougall occurred in less than two minutes, but what happened in those two minutes is not agreed upon.

Police said McDougall came at officers with a knife and when he refused to drop it, they Tasered him. When the Taser did not subdue him, police said they shot him.

His family has always maintained that McDougall was not holding a knife. They said he was on his phone with his girlfriend.