HOMICIDE IN EASTVIEW

Police probe man’s death

Family members say the body of Brydon Bryce Whitstone, an Onion Lake man who was fatally shot by an RCMP officer on Oct. 21, has returned home.

Ruth Lewis, his aunt, said her nephew was involved in a street gang called the Westside Outlaws, but after the death of his son in September, he told family he was leaving the gang.

“Brydon had spoken to his mom that he had made the choice that he had no longer wanted to be affiliated with any gang activity and that was stemming from the loss,” Lewis told Postmedia News on Wednesday.

Whitstone allegedly died after a vehicle he was driving rammed a RCMP cruiser during a police pursuit in North Battleford. RCMP have said the chase began after officers responded to a report at 8:55 p.m. on Oct. 21 indicating a man had been chased and shot at by the occupants of a vehicle.

RCMP have said the suspect vehicle rammed a cruiser and became immobilized, after which an officer opened fire “in response to the driver’s actions.”

Life-saving procedures were undertaken, but Whitstone died en route to hospital. Regina city police are conducting an external investigation into the incident. An independent observer, separate from RCMP and Regina police, has also been appointed.

Lewis said she didn’t know if Whitstone successfully left the gang, as she understands the process can be difficult. However, she said it shouldn’t be a factor in the investigation and is not relevant to her family’s questions about the officer’s use of lethal force.

Stan Tu’Inukuafe, a cofounder of Str8 Up, a support organization for people trying to leave gang life, said anyone leaving a gang goes through four phases: a decision phase, a transition phase, a transformation phase and a stabilization phase. The process can take years, and the stigma remains as the former gang member tries to find work and stable housing or income, all while dealing with past trauma.

“That’s the hard part, is learning how to deal with all of that in a healthy way,” he said.

Postmedia News confirmed that Landin Blanko, a man described by some media reports as Brydon’s brother, is a close friend.

Whitstone’s autopsy was completed on Tuesday. Regina police will not release the results. Spokeswoman Elizabeth Popowich said the police service is taking the investigation into Whitstone’s death “very seriously.”

“We have been given a task and we intend to carry it out thoroughly and competently,” she said.

The effect of the death is not lost on the police service, she added.

“The loss of any life is tragic and I don’t want it to be lost in all of what’s going on ... That as a community, as a province — as people — we ought to remember there’s a family that’s lost their son,” she said.