Coroner's inquest to probe death of B.C. man shot dozens of times by police in 2018

The British Columbia Coroners Service says it will hold an inquest into the death of a man who died in a hail of police gunfire after starting a shootout with RCMP officers in Kamloops.

The service says the inquest will begin on May 6 at the Kamloops law courts to determine the facts related to the death of 35-year-old Eugene Marcano, who was shot and killed by Mounties on Sept. 14, 2018.

A report from B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office in 2019 says Marcano initiated a shootout with Kamloops RCMP officers, who had responded to a call about a truck and trailer parked in a remote location and a man who appeared to be intoxicated.

The report says Marcano became agitated while interacting with the officers and retreated into the trailer before opening fire on the Mounties with a shotgun.

It says officers returned fire with their service pistols and a rifle, hitting Marcano dozens of times.

The Independent Investigations Officer report says the officers were justified in returning fire, acting in self-defence after making "routine inquiries" about a man apparently camping on private land in somewhat suspicious circumstances.