Mental health concerns of RCMP shooting victim not acted upon, inquest hears

A coroner's inquest into the shooting deaths of a mother and son in B.C.'s northern Interior heard evidence Monday about the 77-year-old woman's mental state and the community's attitude toward her in the years before she was killed. 

Shirley Williams and her son, Jovan Williams, 39, were shot and killed by police in the backyard of their home in Granisle, B.C., in April 2016, following an armed confrontation. 

Police described finding Jovan outside the home wearing camouflage and armed with a firearm and a knife. Soon after, Shirley exited the house wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a shotgun.

A report by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. found the officer was justified in firing at them "before they could fire at him."

Harvey Williams, Jovan's father and Shirley's ex-husband, broke down in tears as he recounted the last time he saw his family after a Christmas visit to their home.

He says despite their separation in the 1980s, he and his ex-wife remained close. Harvey told the room that Shirley was increasingly concerned about being targeted by her neighbours and the RCMP.

Jovan moved in with his mother about a year before their deaths at her request.

Ex-husband says racism was a factor

Harvey Williams, who is a member of the Cheslatta Nation, was supported by Cheslatta Chief Corrina Leween as he detailed racism directed at Shirley and Jovan by their neighbours in Granisle, about 150 kilometres east of Smithers, B.C.

Shirley, originally from Tennessee, was not Indigenous, but Harvey said she was judged for marrying an Indigenous man. He said people in the community "didn't like us for neighbours." 

He said Jovan started a lawn care and snow removal business but couldn't keep customers as a result of what he described as a climate of racism in the community. 

Shirley told her physician in 2014 that two neighbours in particular were responsible for a number of acts of aggression. Harvey said those acts included trampling her garden beds, slashing her plastic greenhouse siding, deleting photos off an SD card and changing her bank card PIN without her knowledge. 

Shirley's journal

Shirley had begun keeping detailed notes on police-involved incidents after the death of Ian Bush in Houston, B.C., in 2005, Harvey said.

Bush was shot in the back of the head while in custody for giving a police officer a false name, having initially been given a ticket for drinking an open beer at a hockey game.

The RCMP internal investigation found the officer acted in self-defence, but the incident was a major impetus for the creation of the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

Jim O'Farrell, who lived four doors down from Shirley, was a councillor for Granisle and the fire chief in 2016. He had been shown Shirley's journal in the year before her death and testified that the "general tone" concerned him. He said it was "obvious she needed help" but was told by the community health nurse that she had refused their outreach. 

Testimony from medical professionals

In 2013, Shirley was called by a registered community health nurse who had been approached by friends of hers, concerned about "increasing amounts of paranoia and anger."

The nurse, Danielle Lanneville, said she called Shirley that day. Shirley reported acts of vandalism and said she was documenting her neighbours' actions on several security cameras.

Lanneville said Shirley claimed she would be "taking matters into her own hands" if faced with intruders and that the acts would be violent. Lanneville said she urged Shirley to take her concerns to the authorities, but did not follow up with the RCMP herself.

That was the last time Lanneville was in touch with Shirley, though the nurse that took over her post the following year recorded a home visit in February 2014. Lanneville read notes from that visit, which described the home as clean, save for a coffee table cluttered with books including gun safety booklets.

There was no evidence of a followup to the home visit, despite mounting concerns. 

Shirley's physician at the time, Dr. Loren Caira, also testified that he "was concerned about her." He said she expressed "delusional ideas," including a neighbour directing radiation at her, being responsible for her ears bleeding, and her hearing aid squealing. 

A series of tests were undertaken to rule out possible physical reasons for the changes in Shirley's behaviour. The tests found no abnormalities.

Though Caira referred Shirley for psychological evaluation, he said he did not know if it was ever completed. He confirmed he never saw a report in her file on the psychological evaluation, nor did he follow up.

The inquest is scheduled to conclude on Friday.