Inquest begins into 2016 in-custody death of Port Alberni teen
An inquest is underway into the death of an 18-year-old Vancouver Island woman who died in a Victoria hospital five years ago.
Jocelyn George, an Indigenous mother of two young children, died on June 24, 2016, just hours after being transferred from RCMP custody in Port Alberni.
The inquest was originally scheduled to be held last July but was put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The inquest got underway Monday morning at the Capitol Theatre in Port Alberni and is scheduled to last until June 29.
The independent office that examines all police-involved deaths in B.C. investigated George's death and issued a final report in January 2018.
It found George was being held in custody for public intoxication but her condition deteriorated and she was airlifted to Victoria, where she died of inflammation of the heart muscle.
The report found the death was linked to the use of toxic drugs and it cleared RCMP of any wrongdoing, but the BC Coroners Service says an inquest is mandatory because George died while in police custody.
Coroner Margaret Janzen and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine how and why George died, the coroners service said in a June 14 statement.
“The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances,” the statement said.
With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.