Shelly MacInnis Wynn, widow of slain Const. David Wynn, said she is unsure if any useful recommendations are going to come out of the fatality inquiry into her husband's death, given the large amount of changes that have already been undertaken.
On Wednesday and Thursday, new details from the night of the fatal incident in January 2015 emerged in a St. Albert courtroom, where witnesses testified about changes already made to the bail system, RCMP radio system and the role of auxiliary constables within the RCMP.
The inquiry focused on the death of Wynn and the man who shot him, Shawn Rehn. Rehn took his own life as the RCMP closed in on him.
The court heard Wednesday morning that the RCMP wanted Rehn to surrender peacefully after the career criminal shot Wynn inside St. Albert's Apex Casino in the early hours of Jan. 17, 2015.
Wynn and Auxiliary Const. Derek Bond entered the casino that night after noticing a stolen truck in the casino's parking lot. A third constable remained outside. After they went inside, there was a brief 10-second chase and struggle with Rehn. Wynn was shot at close range in the head while Bond suffered gunshot wounds to his torso and arm.
Wynn, 42, died Jan. 21 of the gunshot wound; Bond survived.
The RCMP were able to chase Rehn to a home outside of St. Albert. Then-ASIRT (Alberta Serious Incident Response Team) investigator Sgt. Ken Bruns testified ASIRT's investigation determined the RCMP surrounded the home from around 3 a.m. until after 11 a.m., before Rehn died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The RCMP surrounded the house for hours attempting to end the situation with a “successful safe conclusion.”
“A peaceful surrender was the goal,” Bruns said, noting the eight hours and multiple strategies officers used to try to get Rehn to surrender. At around 11 a.m., Rehn shot himself.
A toxicology report done on Rehn found he had cocaine and a “pretty high level of methamphetamine” in his system at the time of his death, but that did not contribute to the medical reason for his death.
At the time of the incident, Rehn was wanted on 29 charges stemming from four different incidents. He was wanted on charges of possession of stolen property, including a motorcycle, possession of a weapon, possession of marijuana, escaping from custody and failing to comply.
Bail process
The inquiry examined the bail process and changes that have happened in the province since the January 2015 incident.
Edmonton Police Service Const. Wilson Quan testified he was the police officer who acted as the Crown at the bail hearing and said he originally did not want Rehn released. Police officers no longer act on behalf of the Crown in bail hearings across the province, one of a slew of changes to the bail system that have happened since Wynn's death.
After talking to Rehn’s lawyer, who said Rehn was turning his life around, Quan agreed to release Rehn on a joint submission.
Rehn was released on $4,500 bail with conditions. Quan knew it would take Rehn a while to pay the bail money and was comfortable knowing he would be in custody until his next appearance in two weeks.
Quan said he felt and still feels like he did everything right during the bail hearing.
“I knew I didn’t do anything wrong. However, it never erases the feeling,” Quan said outside the courthouse to reporters.
“Whenever a fellow police officer dies and you get pointed at (for) the blame, you always have hindsight and you think, 'What if? What if? What if?' ” Quan said.
Edmonton Police Service counsel Loreena Harris reiterated to the court that Quan had done everything right and executed a “textbook” bail hearing. Harris said there is no evidence the outcome would have been any different had Crown counsel handled the hearing.
MacInnis Wynn agreed with Quan and Harris, adding Quan should have never been placed in the position to conduct a bail hearing as an officer in the first place.
MacInnis Wynn also addressed Shawn Rehn’s mother, Mona Liza Rehn, who was present in court for the proceeding.
“As a mother, my heart hurts because you lost your son,” MacInnis Wynn said to Rehn.
“This is by no means a way to excuse what has happened and what he has done, but if given a chance as a child to be led in a different direction not only by family but also our system, we may not all be sitting here as we are today.”
Outside the courthouse, Mona Liza told reporters her son had suffered from mental health issues.
“You get with the wrong crowd (and) you’re pressed to do wrong things,” she said.
“He ended up in jail. You go in there and you come out worse.”
MacInnis Wynn said she plans to start a foundation in her husband’s name to help keep lost youth, like Shawn Rehn, on the right track.
Provincial court judge Bruce Garriock is now tasked with writing a fatality inquiry report, which has no expected date of release. The report will assess any systematic changes that need to be made and evaluate the ones that have been made since January 2015.
