Family of Craig McDougall hopes for answers as delayed inquest resumes

Craig McDougall's family is hopingthey will finally learn more about why he was shot and killed by police in 2008 when an inquest resumes following a three-month delay.

The inquest, which is mandatory in officer-involved shootings, resumes Monday after Judge AnneKrahn delayed it in August due to newwitness statements.

"It's not that they changed their testimony.They gave new information that theydidn'tgive police at the time," said Corey Shefman, who is legal counsel for the McDougall family.

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The three witnesses areMcDougall's relatives who saw the shooting.Shefmansaid all three will take the stand, starting with the father, BrianMcDougall,on Monday. Shefman says the family has concerns about the way they were treated by police.

"They were placed in handcuffs.They were placed in the back of police cruisers and they were taken to the Public Safety Building where they sat for hours not knowing that Craig had died," said Shefman.

Shefman said that is just oneexample of systemic racism, which this inquest will explore.

"This is the first inquest in Manitoba to explicitly consider systemic racism in the death and that also includes the way the family was treated after Craig was shot."

Knife or cellphone?

CraigMcDougallwas shot and killed by Winnipeg police in the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 2008. Police were already at theSimcoeStreet home dealing with a disturbance when the 26-year-oldarrived.

At the time, police saidMcDougallrefused repeated demands to drop a knifeandofficers had to usea firearm after they could not subdue him with aTaserstun gun.

Family membersrefutethat claim, saying he was holding a cellphone andtalkingto his girlfriend as the situation unfolded.

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The inquest schedule will be set Monday, but is expected to involve15 days spread throughNovember and December. Witnesseswillinclude officers involved in the shooting, investigating officers, former Winnipeg Police chiefKeith McCaskill,two Taser experts andan expert on systemic racism.

Shefman said extra days will be added to the inquest scheduleto accommodate the new witness information.

"We will be calling a couple of additional witness and also recalling some witnesses," he said."We're really looking forward to finally getting Craig's family some answers."