By Canadian Press

Jury deliberates at B.C. inquest into death of man after a police beating

May 1, 2023 | 10:56 AM

BURNABY, B.C. — The jury at a British Columbia coroner’s inquest has begun deliberations after hearing 11 days of testimony about a beating by Vancouver police officers and the death of Myles Gray. 

Coroner Larry Marzinzik reminded jurors they are not to make any findings of legal responsibility when they form their possible recommendations. 

Gray died in 2015 after a beating by several officers that left him with injuries including ruptured testicles and fractures in his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib.

Dr. Matthew Orde, the forensic pathologist who performed an autopsy on Gray, testified last weekthat a “perfect storm” of factors led to his death, including his extreme physical exertion and the actions of police to restrain him.

He concluded that Gray died as a result of cardiac arrest complicated by police actions to restrain him as he experienced an acute behavioural disturbance.

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Orde, who testified as an expert witness, pointed specifically to police actions including “neck compression,” blunt force injuries, the use of pepper spray and forcing Gray onto his stomach and handcuffing him behind his back.

“In the context of someone who’s extremely fatigued, (whose) body is fully ramped up … I think these issues would be enough to tip him over the edge,” Orde told the jury on Thursday. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.

The Canadian Press