The coroner’s inquest into the death of Eugene Ethan Marcano will begin early next month.
Marcano, 35, died following an officer-involved shooting on Sept. 14, 2018, which comes with a mandatory inquest under section 18(2) of the Coroners Act.
The inquest into his death will begin at 9:30 am on May 6 at the Kamloops Law Courts.
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On Sept. 17, 2018 the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO BC) issued a news release that said they had been notified of the shooting, which happened about three kilometres past the Rose Hill subdivision in Kamloops.
“Initial information provided to the IIO by the RCMP suggests that at approximately 4:30 pm officers responded to a report of a suspicious and possibly impaired male,” the release said.
“Police attended the location and there was a reported exchange of shots. Sometime later it was discovered the male was deceased and the RCMP notified the IIO of the incident.”
On May 18, 2019, the IIO released its in-depth report into the matter, which saw the RCMP offices involved in the incident cleared of any wrongdoing.
According to the report, the man reportedly opened fire on police and officers fired 45 shots at him, which ended with Marcano’s death.
Ronald J. MacDonald, chief civilian director for the IIO, said the investigation was largely based on interviews with the witness officer, recording of police radio communications and “physical forensic evidence” from the scene.
According to the report, the interaction began shortly before 4:30 pm when a civilian reported seeing a suspicious pick-up truck with a trailer parked beside the road.
Two police officers responded to the scene and when they made contact with the man, the witness officer said he “responded by coming out of the trailer, agitated and repeatedly saying things about ‘constant harassment.’”
The witness officer reported that the man became increasingly hostile and after several minutes of trying to get him to approach the RCMP vehicles, both officers drew their firearms.
According to the report, the man then reportedly fired a shotgun at the two officers.
The witness officer claimed that the other officer then retrieved his service carbine and remembers hearing a shot that “did not sound” like the RCMP’s pistols or the man’s shotgun.
“(The affected person) fell backwards, firing his shotgun straight up into the air as he fell,” the report says.
The subsequent forensic scene examination found 31 spent 9mm pistol cartridge casings in three areas: the side and rear of the witness officer’s vehicle, on the road around the front of the man’s pick-up truck and near the other officer’s vehicle.
Fourteen spent casings, matching the second officer’s carbine, were located near his RCMP vehicle.
Eleven spent shell casings matching the man’s shotgun along with the firearm were found near his body. A second shotgun with semi-automatic action was discovered in the trailer.
The autopsy report said that the cause of the man’s death was “a gunshot wound to the head.”
A toxicology report later found a “mild level of intoxication” in the man’s body, caused by alcohol and methamphetamine.
MacDonald concluded that both officers were “entirely justified in returning gun fire in self-defence and in defence of each other.” No charges were recommended.
The coroner’s inquest will work to do the following:
Determine the facts related to a death including the identity of the deceased and how, when, where and by what means the individual came to their death, as well as a classification for the death.
Make recommendations, where appropriate and supported by evidence, to prevent deaths in similar circumstances.
Ensure public confidence that the circumstances surrounding the death of an individual will not be overlooked, concealed or ignored.
Susan Barth, presiding coroner, and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding Marcano’s death.
The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances, but must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
