A failed attempt to bring down Greg Matters with a Taser occurred as the RCMP emergency response team member who fired the weapon slipped on some grass, a coroner's inquest into the death of the Canadian military veteran heard Tuesday.
Cst. Matthew Reddemen said it was his first deployment as an ERT member when he and three other RCMP officers went onto the Matters family's Pinko Road property on the evening of Sept. 10, 2012 to arrest the ex-soldier on assault charges after Matters ran his brother's vehicle off the road some 40 hours earlier.
In previous testimony, the inquest heard a police negotiator had cellphone contact with Matters and coaxed him out of a cabin and along a driveway leading out to the main road by giving the veteran the impression a neighbour would be there to pick him up and drive him to the RCMP detachment.
The ERT, meanwhile, had moved in with the hope of apprehending Matters before he had retreated to the cabin and was progressing up the driveway toward him.
While Reddemen and another officer, Cst. Bryson Hipkin, had remained between Matters and the road, two others, Cst. Brian Merriman, the lead officer on the ground, and Cpl. Collin Warwick, had circled in behind him in an effort to cut off his path back to the cabin.
Reddemen said he was 40 to 50 metres away from Matters when Merriman told him over police radio to "hurry up," because Matters had pulled out a hatchet and was not complying with police orders to drop the weapon.
The Mountie recalled he was already in a quick jog when he was given the order and then broke into a sprint. Once within firing range, Reddemen said he called out to Matters to get his attention and the ex-soldier responded by turning toward him with the hatchet held above his head.
Reddemen said he tried to stop but had entered some high grass and continued slipping as he pulled the trigger. He said the barbs struck Matters in the upper chest but had no effect, possibly because of the thick fleece jacket he was wearing.
At that point, Reddemen said he became concerned for his life because Matters was within striking distance with the hatchet. Within seconds, Reddemen said he heard two gunshots fired and Matters was down.
Matters was pronounced dead at the scene. A subsequent investigation by the Independent Investigations Office cleared those involved of any criminal wrongdoing. A coroner's inquest into the death was held for two weeks in October and resumed this week. Once the testimony is completed, a four-person jury will make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Asked by a jury member if he was trained to fire a Taser while on the run, Reddemen said it can be done but the user must be in control and suggested he made a mistake.
"I decided on my own that it was the appropriate use at that point in time," Reddemen said. "[It was] probably not the best use at that point in time, in a sprint or a run to the point where I was slipping and stuff."
In earlier testimony, Warwick said he shot Matters with his M-16 rifle out of fear Matters would use the hatchet on Reddemen.
In other testimony Tuesday, Hipkin told the inquest he had been carrying a shotgun loaded with "bean bag" rounds, designed to knock a target over without being fatal, but said he didn't have an angle to make a shot and was concerned he would hit another team member if he missed.
On Monday, Merriman testified that, while he ordered Reddemen to move in with the Taser, he never specifically ordered him to fire the weapon, but added it was a "fast-evolving" situation and they trusted each other's judgment.
Matters suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, sparked by experiences during his 15 years in the military, which included a tour in Bosnia, being jumped by some commanding officers while in a washroom and a run-in with police while stationed in Gagetown, NB.
Matters' sister, Tracey, said the testimony showed the ERT was incompetent and overreacted.
"He wasn't the threat that they perceived him to be," she said. "They should never have been on the property without a warrant, in full camo gear, with helicopters.
"I don't think they were prepared for his surrender. They lacked communication skills, they lacked experience, they couldn't follow orders... it was an absolute mess."
