Inquests jury says death of man killed by Sask. RCMP in Montreal Lake Cree Nation was a homicide

Aishwarya Dudha · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 12:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

A six-person coroner's inquest assemblage tasked with examining the decease of Dillon McDonald, who was changeable and killed by Saskatchewan RCMP successful Montreal Lake Cree Nation in December 2021, decided that it was a homicide.

The uncovering came aft the assemblage listened to grounds astatine a Saskatchewan Coroners Service inquest from March 3 to 7 astatine Court of King's Bench successful Prince Albert.

Inquests similar this are not transgression proceedings and bash not effect successful transgression charges. Juries are asked to find the facts of the decease and marque recommendations to assistance forestall akin incidents successful the future.

On apical of stating that the decease was a homicide, the assemblage recommended that RCMP continue to enactment connected hiring much First Nations radical astatine each levels and proceed providing grooming connected First Nations taste diverseness and related topics.

RCMP responded to Montreal Lake Cree Nation connected Dec. 14, 2021, aft a study a antheral had chased idiosyncratic retired of a location with a gun. RCMP said astatine the clip that astir 5 hours later, the antheral came retired of the location holding a weapon and officers changeable him.

Police said helium was pronounced dormant astir an hr later, portion en way to hospital.

A household person of McDonald broadcast the incidental unrecorded connected societal media. In the video, fume was seen billowing retired of the location arsenic pops of what look to beryllium teardrop state went disconnected inside. Roughly 20 seconds later, aft immoderate swearing, 3 gunshots were heard.

The shooting happened earlier the instauration of the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), the province's autarkic constabulary watchdog organization, which is present responsible for investigating incidents wherever radical are killed oregon injured successful interactions with police.

After the shooting, the Saskatoon Police Service was tasked with investigating the incident. CBC asked Saskatoon constabulary astir the results of that investigation, but was fixed nary comment.