The highly anticipated hearing regarding the death of Myles Gray in a police incident from 2015 has hit a snag and will be postponed for four weeks due to a disruptive incident involving an offensive remark and the subsequent departure of counsel overseeing the proceedings in Vancouver.
Chris Considine, the counsel for the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of British Columbia, has revealed that legal representatives for the police, including a female individual who may have been the target of the inappropriate comment, are contesting the reinstatement of public hearing counsel Brad Hickford. Despite pleas from the adjudicator to move past the issue, the opposition persists.
An alternative to Hickford is in the process of being appointed, but it will require some time for them to familiarize themselves with the case. This case involves seven Vancouver officers who refute allegations of misconduct in Gray’s fatal altercation, which a coroner determined to be a homicide.
Richard Neary, Hickford’s lawyer, expressed gratitude for the support received from adjudicator Elizabeth Arnold-Bailey. However, Hickford remains resolute in his decision to step down to avoid being a disruptive element and due to challenges posed by other lawyers involved in the public hearing.
In another development, Hickford is currently under scrutiny by the Law Society of B.C. for a derogatory remark captured by a live microphone, where he used offensive language to describe an individual as “stupid.” This incident adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal proceedings.
Arnold-Bailey has raised concerns about the impact of these disruptions on the timeline of the originally planned 10-week hearing, emphasizing the challenges posed by the schedules of the legal representatives and the logistical arrangements required to ensure a smooth continuation of the proceedings.