THUNDER BAY – An inquest into the 2016 death of a Nipigon man who was fatally shot by an OPP officer following a confrontation is set to proceed later this summer.
Daniel Legarde was 45 when he was shot after brandishing a knife during a confrontation with OPP officers in Nipigon on Nov. 26, 2016. He died in hospital a short time later.
Under the Coroners Act, an inquest is mandatory when a death occurs while a person is in custody or being detained.
On Friday, the office of regional supervising coroner Harry Voogjarv announced the inquest into his death will take place starting on July 31.
The inquest was first announced in 2020.
In 2018, Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit cleared the officer who shot Legarde of criminal wrongdoing.
The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding Legarde’s death more broadly, with a jury able to make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths in similar circumstances.
The inquest is expected to last ten days and hear from approximately 18 witnesses.
It is set to begin on Monday, July 31, at the Nipigon Legion Hall.
Etienne Esquega will be the presiding officer, while Christina Varrette and Karen Srodulski will be inquest counsel.
The shooting took place at a Nipigon home on Nov. 26, 2016 at approximately 7:30 p.m., after officers with the OPP’s Nipigon detachment received a complaint of a man refusing to leave a residence.
According to the 2018 SIU report, Legarde had received a letter informing him he owed more than $100,000 in child support earlier that day, which upset him. He then visited the complainant and the two started arguing.
When officers arrived, Legarde exited the home and was observed carrying a knife. He was ordered to drop the knife, and when he refused, officers used a tazer, which had no effect.
Legarde retreated back into the home and when he exited a second time, reportedly approached officers with the knife raised, and was shot once in the abdomen by one of the officers on scene.
Legarde was pronounced dead at the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital a short time later.