A coroner’s inquest has been scheduled for a man who died in police custody in Nanaimo in 2017.
Aaron Lee Prince, 35, died on Oct. 12, 2017. At the time, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. was also called.
The BC Coroners Service says inquests are always launched when someone dies while they are detained or in the custody of a peace officer.
The public inquiry into Prince’s death will be held at the provincial law courts in Nanaimo on Nov. 7, 2023.
The purpose of the inquiry is to determine the facts of Prince’s death, to potentially make recommendations on how to prevent similar deaths from occuring in the future, and ensuring public confidence that the circumstances of his death were not “overlooked, concealed or ignored.”
A jury of five to seven people and the presiding coroner of the inquest will hear evidence from witnesses about the man’s death.
The jury’s role is to potentially make recommendations to prevent similar deaths, and not to make any legal determinations.
The inquest begins at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 7, and can be attended in person or through a livestream.
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Adam Chan
