Lafond jury begins deliberations to determine cause of death
The jury charged with determining how Jordan Bruce Lafond died and providing recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths began its deliberations Thursday after four days of testimony.
Lafond, 21, died on Oct. 24, 2016, one day after he and Reece Terrance Fiddler climbed into a stolen Ford F-150 containing four firearms and led police on a highspeed chase across Saskatoon’s west side.
The pursuit ended around 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 23, when the truck plowed into a metal bollard behind Bethlehem Catholic High School and subsequently drove through a chain-link fence before coming to a stop.
While the inquest heard Lafond died of a brain hemorrhage caused by blunt-force trauma to the left side of his head, it remains unclear whether that trauma was caused by the crash or blows delivered by police officers.
“Anything ’s possible,” testified Shaun Ladham, the province’s chief forensic pathologist, who carried out the autopsy on Lafond’s embalmed corpse 10 days after the pursuit.
While the large contusion across the left side of Lafond’s face and head could have been caused by the truck colliding with the bollard or its subsequent run through a chain-link fence, that cannot be certain, Ladham said.
“I can see these same (injuries) in someone who’s in a fist fight or getting beat up by someone else,” Ladham said, testifying as an expert witness qualified to provide opinions, on the fourth and final day of evidence.
The inquest heard this week that a Saskatoon police officer, Sgt. Thomas Gresty, kneed Lafond in the top of the head three or four times while another officer, Const. Kelly Olafson, struggled to handcuff him.
While Gresty testified that he had “tunnel vision” and believed Lafond was resisting arrest, another officer on the scene, Const. Danial Swan, told the inquest he was helping Olafson and did not feel the man on the ground move.
The inquest also heard police developed reason to suspect Olafson of using more force — a possible kick to the head or face; the video evidence is inconclusive — while subduing Lafond than he initially disclosed.
While Gresty admitted delivering the knee strikes, Olafson testified Wednesday it was “physically impossible” for him to kick Lafond, who was ejected from the truck and lying under the rear portion of its open box.
While there were no apparent injuries to the top of Lafond’s head, where Gresty said the knee strikes were delivered, the absence of visible trauma does not necessarily suggest the absence of blows, Ladham testified.
He said the same held true for Lafond’s left hand, which Olafson testified to “stomping” on but which the forensic pathologist said showed signs of “medical intervention” — the site of an IV needle.
The final witness to testify, Saskatoon police collision analyst Const. Barry Low, said his investigation of the crash led him to conclude Lafond was thrown out the passenger-side door when the truck struck the fence. He testified the truck was travelling about 64 km/ h when it struck the bollard.
Low said he believed Lafond came to rest on the downed fence while the truck continued through the ditch along 22nd Street West before rolling back and coming to rest with the tailgate area over him.
Saskatoon lawyer Tim Hawryluk, who is presiding over the inquest, delivered his charge to the jury — which included a review of the evidence — Thursday afternoon. Then the six-member panel began deliberating.
An inquest is not intended to establish if criminal acts were committed or if anyone is responsible for a death. Instead, the jury has to determine the cause of death and make non-binding recommendations aimed at preventing deaths.
I can see these same (injuries) in someone who’s in a fist fight or getting beat up by someone else