The death of a man in Vancouver police custody has been ruled a homicide by a coroner's inquest jury.

The ruling does not include legal blame, but means only the death of Jeff Berg was human-caused.

Berg died after being arrested by Vancouver police in October 2000, for a suspected break-and-enter to a marijuana grow op. Const. David Bruce-Thomas testified during the inquest that he confronted Berg, kicked him in the crotch and kicked twice at his torso, but could not remember how Berg ended up on the ground.

An autopsy showed he died from an aneurysm after receiving a blow to the head.

The jury made eight recommendations, including a review of Vancouver police department policies, a call for audio and video equipment in all squad cars and routine retraining on the use of force.

The jury also called for regular mental and psychological assessments for officers on high-stress assignments.

The Police Complaints Commissioner has ordered a public hearing into the Berg case, with the inquiry to start next month.

The Berg family's lawyer, Cameron Ward, welcomed the jury's finding.

"Jeff Berg met his death as a result of a homicide. And it wasn't an accident, he didn't die of natural causes," he said.

"There was some suggestion that the death was a fluke, that this aneurysm was a fluke. It wasn' t that. "And the jury – if one reads the recommendations that it listed – clearly felt that some police practices were wanting."

Ward said the family hopes the jury's findings will prompt the Crown to re-assess the evidence and proceed with criminal charges against the officers involved.