February 23, 2001
Coroner Calls Inquest Into Hospital Shooting
An inquest will look into the death of Henry Masuka, the man shot by police at the emergency department of St. Michael's Hospital on New Year's Day last year. Masuka died when two members of the police's Emergency Task Force fired three bullets into him, killing him almost instantly. He had been holding a gun to the head of Dr. Richard Yu and demanding care for his infant son before daring the officers to open fire, saying, ''Take me out and this will be over by midnight.'' His gun was later found to be an unloaded pellet pistol. The province's Special Investigations Unit, which probes all incidents involving police that result in death or serious injury, ruled a year ago that the shooting was ''legally justified.'' But Masuka's family has launched a suit against the police and the hospital claiming that, even after Masuka was shot and clearly mortally wounded, police handcuffed him and prevented physicians from attending to him immediately. The inquest, which begins April 17, will review the events surrounding the death and may result in recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths of a similar nature. The coroner expects to hear from approximately 25 witnesses over a period of two weeks. Under Ontario's Coroners Act, all deaths that occur while a person is detained by or in the actual custody of a peace officer are subject to a mandatory inquest.
Copyright 1996-2001. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited.
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