The BC Coroners Service has announced that a public inquest will be held into the death of Andre Claude Boucher.

The inquest will begin on May 14, 2018, at the Victoria law courts (850 Burdett Ave.) in courtroom 404.

Boucher, aged 60 at the time of his death, was taken into custody and placed in a police cell after Saanich police responded to a complaint on the evening of July 27, 2016. Shortly after 10 a.m. the next morning, paramedics were summoned to assess Boucher. He was transported to Victoria General Hospital, where he died in early August. As Boucher became unresponsive while in police custody, the chief coroner directed that an inquest be held.

Presiding coroner Michael Egilson 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. A jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law. An inquest is a formal process that allows for public presentation of evidence relating to a death. For more information on inquests, please visit: http://ow.ly/8WRx30gbxTr

The BC Coroners Service looks to gather the facts surrounding why a death took place, and is not a fault-finding agency. It provides an independent service to the family, community, government agencies and other organizations.