A coroner's inquest examining the death of a Sudbury man involved in a police standoff began Monday in a virtual online format.
The inquest, which is expected to last five days, will look into the circumstances that unfolded in a Garson neighbourhood almost six years ago when a man argued with his wife and then shot at her as she ran from the house. The man later took his own life following an extended standoff with police.
The coroner's inquest is examining the death of Steven Thornton, 63, who was found dead in his home in Garson on Sept. 13, 2018, after an interaction with the Greater Sudbury Police Service and the Barrie Police Service, the inquest was told.
The inquest is taking place in a virtual online format with Toronto lawyer Bonnie Goldberg as the presiding officer, assisted by inquest counsel, Sudbury lawyer and assistant Crown attorney Grace Alcaide Janicas. She is assisted by student-at-law Mackenzie Chan, also of Sudbury.
Thornton was described in a letter from family members as "a wonderful and caring father" whose behaviour in the hours leading up to his death was described as completely out of character.
As far as the public was concerned, the incident began around 6:14 p.m.on Sept. 12, 2018, when neighbours reported hearing two gunshots on Sunny Street in Garson. This was outlined for the inquest jury members in what was termed "an agreed statement of facts" presented by Chan, including a 911 call which was entered into evidence and played for the inquest.
Emergency operators were told that a woman was shot in the back as she ran from her home at 44 Sunny St. The woman suffered wounds from shotgun pellets to her back, legs and wrist as she fled her armed husband.
Some neighbours hearing the commotion and seeing the woman, Karen Thornton, fleeing in panic, directed her into their garage for safety and called 911.
Neighbours reported that Steve Thornton retreated back into his house after shooting at his wife.
Greater Sudbury Police Service arrived at 6:29 p.m. that evening, the jury was told, and set up containment in the neighbourhood and around the Sunny Street house where the Thornton’s lived.
Paramedics rushed Karen Thornton to Health Sciences North, where she was treated for her wounds and released later that evening.
GSPS responded with an incident commander, patrol officers, a TAC team (tactical response team) and three crisis negotiators.
As the incident unfolded throughout the evening, Thornton was in communications, on and off, with GSPS and a team from the Barrie Police Service which has been called in as backup for the Sudbury police.
Negotiations continued until shortly before 7 a.m. on Sept. 13, the jury was told.
Police tried to reconnect with Thornton for a few hours up until after 10 a.m. without success.
It was at 12:48 a.m. that the TAC team from Barrie Police Service entered the house. Thornton was found in a bed with his body resting against a headboard. A 20-gauge shotgun was found nearby. There was obvious and severe trauma to the man’s head, the inquest was told.
A note addressed to Thornton’s children was also found, the jury was told.
The inquest is expected to last all week with more testimony coming from police officers with both the Sudbury and Barrie police departments. The jury was told there will also be testimony on what changes to policies and procedures were discussed by Greater Sudbury Police as a result of the incident in Garson.
The role of an inquest is to determine how a deceased person came to his death, when the death occurred, where it occurred, how (medical cause of death) and by what means (natural causes, accident, homicide, suicide or undetermined).
An inquest jury cannot assign blame nor can it make any legal conclusions. A jury may make recommendations to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.
