The BC Coroners Service is holding an inquest into the death of Christopher Jonathan Bloomfield, who was shot by police inside his Mill Bay home on Nov. 10, 2018.
An investigation by the Independent Investigations Office found in 2021 that shortly after noon that day Shawnigan Lake RCMP officers followed up on an assault investigation in the 1100 block of Shawnigan-Mill Bay Road and arrived at the home the 27-year-old shared with his mother in the Cedar Creek Mobile Home Park to arrest him in connection with the assault.
When they entered the residence, Bloomfield advanced on them with what police described as an “edged weapon.” Officers attempted to subdue him with a Taser, but were unsuccessful. Police then fired shots, hitting the man.
He was transported to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Autopsy results found that Bloomfield was intoxicated on numerous drugs that day, finding cannabis, codeine, ecstasy, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ketamine, an antihistaminie and hallucinogen methoxyphencyclindine in his blood.
Following the hit from the Taser being ineffective to subdue Bloomfield, the situation became critical.
It wasn't until 2021 that the Independent Investigations Office cleared two RCMP officers in the shooting death, finding they were justified in fearing for their lives and safety during the incident. The IIO investigation took more than two years to complete in part due to the RCMP officers involved taking 19 months to submit written statements about the incident.
The inquest into the death of Bloomfield begins at 9:30 a.m. on July 2 at the Victoria Law Courts with the purpose of preventing deaths under similar circumstances. During the inquest, Kirsten Everett, presiding coroner, and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding Bloomfield's death. The jury is not able to make any findings of legal responsibility.
The Coroners Act mandates inquests into any deaths that occur while a person is detained by or in the custody of a peace officer. An inquest may also be ordered if the public has an interest in being informed.
