File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Aaron Schulze

Rose Hill Shooting Inquest

Coroners inquest to probe death of man in 2018 shootout with Kamloops RCMP

Apr 19, 2024 | 10:27 AM

KAMLOOPS — A coroner’s inquest into the shooting death of a man near Rose Hill is slated for next month.

In a news release issued Friday (April 19) morning, the BC Coroners Service identified the deceased man from the Sept. 14, 2018, shooting as 35-year-old Eugene Ethan Marcano.

The service states inquests are mandatory for any deaths that occur while a person was detained by, or in the custody of, a peace officer.

A coroner’s inquest is a public inquiry that serves to determine the facts related to a death, make recommendations where appropriate and supported by evidence to prevent deaths in similar circumstance and ensure public confidence that the circumstances surrounding the death will not be overlooked, concealed or ignored.

The inquest stems from an incident nearly six years ago when Kamloops RCMP officers responded to a report of a suspicious and potentially impaired man near a camper in an area about three kilometres past the Rose Hill subdivision.

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After police arrived, there was a reported gunfire exchange with the man. In a report in May 2019, investigators with the Independent Investigation Officer (IIO) of B.C. found officers did not respond inappropriately with their self-defense approach to the suspect, and that the suspect’s violent reaction did not have any legitimate basis, given the words and actions of officers involved.

Despite no police video of the shooting, IIO Chief Civilian Director Ron MacDonald said at the time evidence found the subject had initiated the shootout with police after he became agitated when RCMP officers approached the trailer he was in.

Susan Barth, presiding coroner, and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding this death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.

The inquest is scheduled to take place at the Kamloops Law Courts on Monday, May 6 at 9:30 a.m.