Inquest hears two different portraits of man shot by police
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 | 5:07 PM PT
CBC News
The coroner's inquest into the death of an aboriginal man shot a dozen times by Vancouver police on the Downtown Eastside continued Tuesday.
Police approached Gerald Samuel Chenery on Boxing Day, 2004 because of a parole violation. But when the 29-year-old threatened police with two large kitchen knives – police shot him to death.
- FROM FEB. 9, 2006: Knife-wielding man shot repeatedly
Witnesses at the inquest are painting two very different portraits of Gerald Chenery.
Gerald Samuel Chenery
His parole officer, Sam Beaton, describes a man who grew up a criminal and landed in jail about once year.
Chenery was released from prison into a halfway house in New Westminster – with special restrictions because he was considered violent and a high risk of reoffending.
But the coroner's jury is also hearing Chenery was a well-liked, funny guy who cared about his family.
His older sister Teresa said Gerald tried to protect his sisters from an alcoholic and sexually abusive father. "I fell apart after he died," she said.
Teresa says just days before he was shot, Gerald talked about returning to Nisga'a territory and working a trapline to support his family.
"Gerald wanted a better life for all of us, wanted us to get back together and rebuild."
Beaton says other inmates liked Chenery so much that they took up a collection to pay the cost of shipping his body home to the Prince Rupert area.
The inquest continues Wednesday.
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