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A coroner’s inquest into the death of a hatchet-wielding London man killed during a 2016 police raid on his Old South home is set to begin Monday morning.
A five-person jury will examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Samuel Maloney, 35, who was fatally shot by police after firing a crossbow at an officer and charging at others with a hatchet during a search of his home Dec. 23, 2016.
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The inquest into Maloney’s death, which is mandatory under Ontario’s Coroners Act and was first announced in March 2019, is expected to last 15 days and will take place virtually. The inquest jury will hear from approximately 11 witnesses.
Coroner’s inquests are a formal hearings where the facts of the death are laid out and a jury makes non-binding recommendations to prevent similar deaths from occurring.
The inquest is the latest investigation into the fatal 2016 police shooting. In June 2018, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) cleared London police of any criminal wrongdoing in Maloney’s death. The police response also prompted an internal review by London police.
Both the SIU and an internal London police report revealed details about Maloney’s death.
Police raided Maloney’s Duchess Avenue home as part of an investigation into allegations of data mischief and unauthorized use of a computer. Officers broke the front door and entered on Dec. 23, 2016 with Maloney, his spouse and their two young children inside.
In a front room of the home, an officer encountered a shirtless Maloney, who shot the officer in the abdomen with a crossbow. The officer fired three shots and retreated, hitting Maloney once in the shoulder.
An officer ordered Maloney to come out with his hands up, but the 35-year-old charged out with a hatchet, running towards another bedroom where his family and two officers were.
Another officer in the bedroom fired five times, three hitting Maloney in the chest as he approached. A third officer shot Maloney once in the head.
Dr. David Eden, the regional supervising coroner for inquests, will be presiding over the Maloney inquest.
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