Coroner’s inquest set for death of man in Tim Horton’s

Dates have been set for a coroner’s inquest into the death of a man in police custody inside a Tim Horton’s in 2020.

Vancouver police were called to the Tim Horton’s on Main Street and Terminal Avenue just after 6 p.m. on Nov. 26, 2020 for reports of a man who had been in the bathroom for more than half an hour.

When officers arrived, they tried to coax the man out of the bathroom but he did not comply.

Eventually the man exited the washroom and, according to police, became agitated and aggressive, resulting in a physical altercation.

The VPD said the man, later identified as 42-year-old George Wayne Prevost, went into medical distress during the encounter and died at the scene.

The Independent Investigations Office, the police watchdog, was called in to investigate as is customary to determine whether police involvement contributed to the death.

The IIO conducted its investigation involving six witness statements and six statements from responding officers. It concluded that Prevost told police he had consumed 10 grams of methamphetamine, which was confirmed during an autopsy.

As a result, the police watchdog determined that the degree of force used by police was necessary and did not contribute to Prevost’s death.

A coroner’s inquest will take place between May 28 and June 5, as is mandatory in any case in which a death occurs in police custody.

The coroner’s inquest is a non-fault-finding public inquiry. It seeks to determine facts relating to the death, to make recommendations to prevent deaths in similar circumstances, and to ensure public confidence that any circumstances around the death will not be overlooked, concealed or ignored.

The inquest will take place at the Burnaby Coroner’s Court starting at 9:30 a.m.