Canada police shoot dead mental patient armed scissors because officer with Taser gun hadn't turned up
Police admitted that the fatal shooting of a mental patient armed with scissors could have been prevented if the road sergeant equipped with a Taser had been at the scene in time.
Michael Eligon, 29, was walking toward police with the weapon and a ‘blank stare’ when he was shot three times by an officer in Toronto, an inquest heard.
A chilling video of the dramatic shooting shown to the inquest captured Mr Eligon’s last moments as he walked toward police who had their guns drawn and yelled ‘drop it’ on February 3 last year.
Under cross examination, Constable Scott Walker told the inquest that a Taser would have been a lest lethal option of subduing Mr Eligon but that the sergeant carrying one was not on the scene at the time, according to the Toronto Sun.
Mr Eligon had escaped from Toronto East General Hospital, where he was being treated for depression, earlier that day wearing just socks and his hospital gown.
The police hunt for Mr Eligon began after he stole two pairs of scissors from a convenience store, stabbing the attendant in the hand as he tried to stop the escapee.
Mr Eligon then tried to steal car keys off two different women but was scared away and took shelter in residential backyards.
Police finally found him wandering down Milverton Boulevard in East York and surrounded him with guns drawn.
In the footage, captured by a police car’s dashboard camera, police are heard yelling ‘drop it’ as Mr Eligon walks toward them and appeared ‘out of touch with reality,’ Const. Walker told the inquest according to the Toronto Sun.
Const. Walker said: ‘I remember looking into his eyes.
‘He seemed disoriented, he seemed as though he had lost touch with reality and he had a blank stare.’
Unperturbed, Mr Eligon continues towards police, who back away until one officer backs into a parked car.
As Mr Eligon advances to within four to six feet of the policemen, Constable Andrew Boyd screamed ‘shoot him’ and one officer obliges, firing three shots. Mr Eligon crumples to the ground.
Const. Boyd told the inquest on Wednesday that the police’s actions were justifiable as their lives were in danger.
He said: ‘Mr Eligon could have lunged forward in a fraction of a second.’
The officer who pulled the trigger has been cleared by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) but is expected to testify next week. He had been on the force just nine months.
The inquest is also investigating two other fatal police shootings of mental patients.
Michael Eligon, 29, was walking toward police with the weapon and a ‘blank stare’ when he was shot three times by an officer in Toronto, an inquest heard.
A chilling video of the dramatic shooting shown to the inquest captured Mr Eligon’s last moments as he walked toward police who had their guns drawn and yelled ‘drop it’ on February 3 last year.
Under cross examination, Constable Scott Walker told the inquest that a Taser would have been a lest lethal option of subduing Mr Eligon but that the sergeant carrying one was not on the scene at the time, according to the Toronto Sun.
Mr Eligon had escaped from Toronto East General Hospital, where he was being treated for depression, earlier that day wearing just socks and his hospital gown.
The police hunt for Mr Eligon began after he stole two pairs of scissors from a convenience store, stabbing the attendant in the hand as he tried to stop the escapee.
Mr Eligon then tried to steal car keys off two different women but was scared away and took shelter in residential backyards.
Police finally found him wandering down Milverton Boulevard in East York and surrounded him with guns drawn.
In the footage, captured by a police car’s dashboard camera, police are heard yelling ‘drop it’ as Mr Eligon walks toward them and appeared ‘out of touch with reality,’ Const. Walker told the inquest according to the Toronto Sun.
Const. Walker said: ‘I remember looking into his eyes.
‘He seemed disoriented, he seemed as though he had lost touch with reality and he had a blank stare.’
Unperturbed, Mr Eligon continues towards police, who back away until one officer backs into a parked car.
As Mr Eligon advances to within four to six feet of the policemen, Constable Andrew Boyd screamed ‘shoot him’ and one officer obliges, firing three shots. Mr Eligon crumples to the ground.
Const. Boyd told the inquest on Wednesday that the police’s actions were justifiable as their lives were in danger.
He said: ‘Mr Eligon could have lunged forward in a fraction of a second.’
The officer who pulled the trigger has been cleared by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) but is expected to testify next week. He had been on the force just nine months.
The inquest is also investigating two other fatal police shootings of mental patients.
Source : TorontoSun , DailyMail
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