Officer had ‘no other options’ than to shoot Kinngait man, inquest hears
RCMP Cpl. Jaimie Methven testifies at inquest examining 2020 death of Attachie Ashoona
The RCMP officer who fired the fatal gunshot that killed Attachie Ashoona in Kinngait in 2020 testified Tuesday at a coroner’s inquest that she believed Ashoona was going to kill her when he approached her wielding a knife. (File photo)
This story was updated on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. ET.
The RCMP officer who fatally shot Attachie Ashoona in Kinngait four years ago says she had “no other options” than to pull the trigger.
Ashoona, 38, died Feb. 26, 2020, after being shot by Cpl. Jaimie Methven, one of two officers who had responded to reports of a domestic assault at a residence.
In its second day Tuesday, an inquest looking into circumstances surrounding Ashoona’s death heard more details about what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting.
Methven testified by videoconference that after receiving two separate calls that a woman or possibly two women were being assaulted by a man, she and her partner Const. Simon Coutu-De Goede went to the home.
When they arrived just after 5 p.m., they encountered a man outside bleeding from his nose, later identified as Ashoona’s father Goo Kingwatsiak, who did not want police to enter without a warrant.
The officers explained they were responding to a domestic violence call. Coutu-De Goede had earlier testified that they entered the home with their pistols drawn and heard the sounds of someone searching through a utensils drawer.
That’s when Ashoona appeared out of the kitchen brandishing a knife, Methven said.
“He seemed scared,” she said. “It appeared that he was heavily intoxicated. I could smell alcohol.”
Ashoona moved toward Coutu-De Goede, who began backing out of the residence while telling Ashoona to drop the knife.
Coutu-De Goede said that after he had moved out of Methven’s sight, Ashoona suddenly pivoted and turned toward Methven.
“There was nothing else in that corner other than me,” Methven said Tuesday. “There was no reason for him to walk in the direction straight towards me.”
She said she told Ashoona they could help him and asked him what he needed, but Ashoona continued to walk toward the officer.
“I don’t know what could have changed him from his actions,” she said.
“He was just so angry, and defeated. He kept saying, ‘Just shoot me, I’m going to kill you,’ and I believed he was going to,” she said.
“I’m no longer trying to protect the women that I thought were in the house, I’m trying to protect myself from this man.”
She said Ashoona got to about “an arm’s length away” from the officer when she fired two shots.
One shot hit Ashoona and he fell to his knees, turned, and landed on his back. The other shot hit the wall behind him, Methven said.
After Ashoona fell to the floor, Methven said Kingwatsiak came into the room distraught.
The officers removed Kingwatsiak from the residence, returned and took the knife from Ashoona’s hand and did a sweep to see if anyone else was inside.
During this time, Const. Daniel Keeling arrived and began doing chest compressions on Ashoona, who was no longer breathing. This continued for about three minutes until Ashoona died.
Methven said she had her pistol, a Taser, pepper spray and baton with her that day.
Coroner’s counsel Sheldon Toner asked Methven why she didn’t use her Taser to disable Ashoona with an electric jolt, instead of her pistol as Ashoona approached her.
Methven said there was “no concealment, no cover, no time” to use a Taser.
“When you go to a knife fight, you don’t want to match that weapon. You want to be one above,” she said.
“There were no other options other than shooting him.”
Toner then asked Methven if she had considered shooting at Ashoona’s hand that was holding the knife, rather than his torso.
“We’re not trained to shoot limbs,” she said. “They’re too small, they’re also moving quite often.
“You have to worry about what’s behind [the target]. You shoot so you know you’re going to hit what you’re going to hit.”
The inquest will continue through the week with testimony from eyewitnesses and a police use-of-force expert. It’s set to conclude Friday with the six-member jury’s recommendations to avoid deaths in similar circumstances in the future.
An inquest is mandatory when a person has died while detained or in custody. It does not have the power to recommend charges or decide who is at fault.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Cpl. Jaimie Methven’s name.
Considering what recommendations could be coming out of this? I’m an advocate of doing more for the mental ill, in a similar situation, but I’m also realistic in that sometimes, you can’t do anything but discharge a bullet to conclude the best results for all. We will not hear much about recommending alcohol be continued to be kept out of Inuit communities, even if society and its people know prohibition doesn’t work, considering that the large number of alcohol fueled deaths we have. So, prohibition doesn’t work, but the alternative is killing Inuit big time, and what’s the label for that ?
If we could achieve all the documentation from all police forces and nursing station throughout the North and actually see how many deaths, attempted suicides, community violence and domestic violence is caused by alcohol, this would not stop the northern people from drinking beer, wine or liquor. These products are now normalized. Through the Normalization of being drunk everyday, the northern people believe that they have a right to be violent within their communities. Since the municipalities in northern Arctic communities see this epidemic happening on a daily basis, the politicians also begin to believe that this is a normal behavior to have. In the mean time its our children, grandchildren, wife’s daughters and elders are being traumatized on a daily basis and it seems as though “NO ONE” CARES about others being traumatized.
Once again, more justification on why Inuit Lives Don’t Matter. Do the police officers know how to use tasers? Do they know how to use pepper spray? More justification where a qallunaq can kill/murder an ill Inuit man. Police Brutality is running amuck in these Northern Arctic communities. Being physically thrown on to the ground and being handcuffed for no criminal reason(s). Being shouted at by those abusing their authority instead of communicating normally. Attempting to intimidate us by shouting down to us because we are smaller and shorter in stature. Pepper Spraying us because we voice our opinions and the police officers feelings get hurt emotionally.
Well, if there were enough kids in class allergic to peanut, other kids and even adults would still bring in peanut, but with awareness to its dangers hopefully. You’re right about how it normalizes and life goes on. I want to say , life doesn’t go on for so many thou. Alcohol affects Inuit more than it affects so many other people. I don’t think that’s even arguable. That’s a fact in a live show. And prohibition doesn’t work along with the alternative to have it available. Both ways , it’s gloomy. Like no way forward. But what gets me, is the amount of denial in it all. At least there should be acknowledging and accepting and respecting that Inuit , too many Inuit can’t handle alcohol with good outcomes. Stop this political correctness and fear of hurting some feeling , just to deny the reality. With that kind of awareness and insight, many many people will find peace in that , and will in all probability start some real recovery and healing. The truth about it. It’s worth it.
When you get into trouble and you’re not aware of that a certain behaviour have caused that trouble, it can be a second chance thereafter to do better next time, due to learning. But if you continue to have the same behaviour, knowing you will get into trouble, now thats seriously wrong, and you in need of help, or else you not going to have a good future. It’s the same with any behaviour. If you are allergic to something, and you still want to have it, and you know you can’t, but you do anyway. I’m sorry for how you have behaved. Not good. Alcohol is no different. If you drink, and you know you can’t handle it, and you drink anyway and there’s big trouble, I’m sorry for you,, you need help, or it’s a downhill ride through life for you. This is he news every day in the north, and the courts try to use it, but fail terribly, in that this behaviour continues to haunt family and community, over and over, from someone who drinks and who knows they can’t handle it. They Ben call it a sin , but a sin worth committing to.
Someone that doesn’t understands the situation can preach all they want.
One has to experience an Inuit life N all the treatment Inuits have endured right from the beginning with the encounter with the western civilization,.
One who never experienced the trauma that was put upon Inuit, residential school, cultural genocide, colonization etc, no matter how much one is educated on the matters, unless one has lived it one cannot completely understand and have a idea, it’s not until one lives it and experiences it, a judgement is pointless.
All the education in the would cannot make a person know how it really feels to be treated as such, only experience will make someone understand and then one can truly help.
It’s time to move on. You cannot eliminate the past, but it’s to move on and not to pull Residential Schools, Cultural Genocide, Colonization as an excuse for the behavior of new generations. You have to admit that you are in the wrong when committing crimes. It’s about time that Inuit start taking responsibility for their actions. Enough of excuses, teach your children and grandchildren about your culture, ensure they attend school to get a decent education. You will never move out of your delusional world and always will remain dependent on hand outs. Is this the vision you have for future Nunavummiut? If this is the case, I pity you