Inquest into 2017 police shooting of homicide suspect begins Monday
A mandatory coroner's inquest into the June 2017 death of Raymond Alliman opens at 9:30 a.m. with six days of hearings and seven witnesses expected to testify.
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A mandatory inquest into the June 3, 2017 death of Raymond Alliman begins Monday, nine years after the shooting death occurred during an exchange of gunfire with Ottawa Police Service Const. Aaron Reichert in a parking garage on Murray Street in the ByWard Market.
The proceedings start at 9:30 a.m. for the first of six days of hearings, with seven witnesses scheduled to testify. Bonnie Goldberg will preside, and the inquest will be conducted by video conference available for public viewing. At its conclusion, the inquest jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.
According to reporting at the time, Alliman had been identified as the suspect who first shot and injured another man, Bun Sim, before shooting and killing Sim's friend, 43-year-old Terrence Phillips, early on June 3, 2017. Const. Reichert made an initial, unsuccessful attempt to arrest Alliman from his vehicle before Alliman entered the Murray Street parking garage.
There the two men exchanged gunfire. Reichert, who was the only officer at the scene, fired nine times. Alliman was struck; Reichert was uninjured. A report by the Special Investigations Unit, the independent oversight agency for police services in Ontario, said the officer was justified in using lethal force against an "imminent danger" posed by the fleeing and armed homicide suspect.
The inquest was first announced in October 2025 and has been postponed at least twice since then before being rescheduled for August 10.
The facts
When did the shooting that prompted this inquest occur?
Raymond Alliman was shot and killed on June 3, 2017, during an exchange of gunfire with Ottawa Police Service Const. Aaron Reichert in a parking garage on Murray Street in the ByWard Market.
How many days of hearings are scheduled?
The inquest into Raymond Alliman's death will run for six days, with seven witnesses scheduled to testify.
How many times did the officer fire?
Const. Aaron Reichert fired nine times during the exchange of gunfire with Raymond Alliman in the parking garage.
Who is presiding over the inquest?
Bonnie Goldberg is presiding over the inquest into Raymond Alliman's death.
