Coroner’s Inquests

Junior Alexander Manon, an otherwise healthy 18 year old black teenager, died on May 5, 2010 while being forcibly restrained by Toronto Police officers Mike Adams and Stuart Blower. The cause of death, according to the Chief Forensic Pathologist, arises directly from how Junior was restrained by the officers– ie. positional asphyxia. Excited delirium has been ruled out by Dr. Pollanen. Initially Junior Manon ran from police who were trying to arrest him for a driving offence. According to some...

Adam Sprague was 25 years old when he died while in the custody of the Orangeville Police Service on November 11, 2010. Late in the evening of November 10, 2010, Adam had been arrested by members of the Orangeville Police Service for public intoxication under the Liquor License Act.  It was later determined that the arrest had been unlawful. Adam was lodged in a cell at the Orangeville Police Station overnight. The police failed to check on Adam during a period of approximately 8 hours. When a ...

On May 6, 2014, the Inquest into the death of Douglas Minty commenced at the Simcoe County Council Chambers in Midhurst, Ontario. The Inquest inquired into the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of Mr. Minty by Cst. Seguin of the Ontario Provincial Police on June 22, 2009. The Inquest presided over by Dr. William Lucas heard from approximately 20 witnesses. The unrelated shooting deaths of Douglas Minty and Levi Schaeffer in 2009 led to a four-year legal battle waged by two families w...

This joint inquest examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths of seven First Nations youth who died under similar circumstances while attending school in Thunder Bay: Reggie Bushie, Jethro Anderson, Jordan Wabasse, Kyle Morriseau, Curran Strang, Paul Panacheese, and Robyn Harper. The Inquest into the Death of Seven First Nations Youth was originally an inquest into the loss of only one of these students, Reggie Bushie. However, his inquest was stalled in 2008, due to concerns regarding th...

The Wesley family was represented by Julian Falconer and Julian Roy at the inquest into the death of Ricardo Wesley and Jamie Goodwin, who died in a fire while incarcerated in Kashechewan First Nation. In a Toronto Star article dated March 23, 2009, Mr. Falconer stated, “These are clearly deaths that never had to happen. The state and conditions of detachments in First Nations territories are deplorable.  Red flags to governments, both federally and provincially, are on record dating y...

Patrick Shand Jr. was 31 years old in 1999 when he died as a result of being held face down on the ground by store employees and a security guard at Agincourt Mall in Toronto.  Julian Falconer and Julian Roy, of Falconers LLP, represented the Shand family at the inquest into Patrick’s death.  As a result of the inquest, Bill 159 was passed.  Bill 159 strengthens requirements for workers in the security industry by making training and licensing mandatory.   Mr. Falconer commented to the...

Wayne Williams, a 24 year-old college student at Seneca College in Toronto, was shot by police on June 11, 1996.  Mr. Williams suffered from depression and schizophrenia.  The Williams family was represented by Julian Falconer and Julian Roy from Falconers LLP at the inquest into his death.  The SIU cleared the officers involved of all charges.  A Coroner’s jury returned a verdict of homicide and recommended that all officers be required to take a course on crisis resolution and that...

In 1997, 35 year old Edmond Yu was shot and killed by police on a bus after brandishing a small hammer.  A former medical student, Edmond had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.  The inquest into his death determined the cause of death to be homicide, and resulted in a number of important recommendations, including that the Police Services Act should be amended to include Crisis Resolution training in addition to annual use of force training. The Yu family was represented by lawyers f...

Robert Gentles was 23 years old at the time of his death in 1993 as an inmate at Kingston Penitentiary.  Robert died after being maced and pinned down by guards.  Lawyers Julian Falconer and Julian Roy, from Falconers LLP, represented Mr. Gentles’ mother at the inquest into his death and filed a civil suit against Corrections Canada.   Related Documents Jury Verdict and Recommendations Video Julian Falconer at Robert Gentles vigil, 1994

Lester Donaldson was fatally shot by police at a distance of only four feet in his home in 1988 after brandishing a small paring knife.  Lester had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and suffered from delusions and voices in his head.  Julian Falconer, called to the bar in 1989, represented the Urban Alliance on Race Relations at the inquest into Lester’s death.  The inquest resulted in the cases of Black Action Defence Committee v. Huxter, Coroner in 1992 and Booth v. Huxter in...