Marijuana in Dumas' system: toxicology report

Matthew Dumas had been consuming marijuana in the hours leading up to his death.

Pathologist Dr. Charles Littman testified Tuesday morning at the inquest looking into his death.

Dumas was killed in 2005 in a confrontation with Winnipeg Police officers on Dufferin Avenue.

A police officer shot Dumas, who was armed with a screwdriver.

Police were looking for suspects in an armed robbery. It was later found Dumas was not involved in the incident.

Littman says a toxicology screen showed the presence of marijuana in Dumas' system indicating that the young man had been using the drug within two or three hours of his death.

Littman says two bullets struck Dumas. Littman says the fatal shot entered Dumas abdomen causing massive internal bleeding.

On Monday, A police officer who tried to talk to Matthew Dumas after he'd been shot took the stand.

Patrol Sgt. Randy Antonio testified Monday that Matthew Dumas had just been shot and was lying on the sidewalk when he kneeled down to check on the young man's condition.

Antonio says Dumas was having difficulty speaking, but the two had a brief conversation. Antonio told the inquest Dumas' last words were that he wanted to get out of there, and that he wanted to go. Dumas died soon after.

Suspect descriptions vary

The inquest also heard from more officers who were at the scene of the shooting that day. Monday's testimony gave a different account of the description of the clothing the armed robbery suspects were wearing. Previous testimony by officers said they were looking for someone wearing a white ball cap, but on Monday officers said they were looking for suspects wearing a white parka.

"Matthew Dumas didn't have a white parka, he didn't have any white clothing on as a matter of fact," said the lawyer for the Dumas family, Donald Worme. "It was the wrong suspect, and he was suspected simply because he was an aboriginal youth in that area."

But the lawyer for the inquest says the evidence doesn't back that up. Robert Tapper said police had no intention of arresting Dumas when they first encountered him, but things changed very quickly. Tapper said the officer tried to spot check him, but instead found himself in the middle of a violent struggle.

"The issue of descriptions and so forth became moot at that point, I suspect," he said. "He's just chasing a fellow who's got something up his sleeve in a dangerous situation."

Officers testified that they were on high alert because the robbery suspects were possibly armed with a sawed off shotgun.

"That's why I think they moved so quickly towards the use of lethal force," said Dumas family lawyer Donald Worme. "They were still under the impression, it seems to me from all of the testimony we've had to date, that they were searching for a robbery."

The officer who shot Dumas was cleared of any wrongdoing by an Ontario Crown lawyer who recommended that no criminal charges be laid.

The inquest is expected to wrap up later this week.