Coroner’s inquest to examine death of Fergus man in 2021

The death of a Fergus man, who was shot by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 2021, will be the focus of a coroner’s inquest.

The fatal police-involved shooting of Mathias Bunyan was previously probed by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the officer who pulled the trigger was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The shooting happened Aug. 15, 2021 as police responded to an apartment building on Belsyde Avenue after neighbours alerted authorities about a disturbance within Bunyan’s unit and raised concerns.

According to the SIU Director’s report on the incident, Bunyan was armed with knives and hid in a closet.

After negotiation attempts, police used pepper spray to try and get Bunyan to exit the closet, but those attempts were unsuccessful.

The report stated that Bunyan then quickly exited the closet and approached officers, with knives in hand. There were two attempts to subdue him with conducted energy weapons, before an officer fired their gun four times.

Bunyan was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 31.

The SIU report said Bunyan had a history of mental health challenges.

A coroner’s inquest will now examine the circumstances around the fatal shooting and the jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.

The inquest is required under the Coroners Act and currently, no date has been set for when it will begin.