Family of Quebec Man Killed During Police Call Won’t Take Part in Coroner’s Inquest

Cesur Celik, father of Koray Kevin Celik, delivers a statement as Tracy Wing, mother of Riley Fairholm, looks on during a news conference in Montreal on Sept. 16, 2019. The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson

A coroner’s inquest into the death of a man during a Montreal police intervention five years ago is underway without members of Koray Kevin Celik’s family taking part.

Celik, 28, was intoxicated and his parents wanted to prevent him from getting behind the wheel when they called 911 seeking help just after 2 a.m. on March 6, 2017, in the western Montreal neighbourhood of Île-Bizard.

The officers responded to the call and attempted to subdue Celik, including with a baton, but Celik’s parents said they witnessed the officers use excessive force, repeatedly beating their son with their feet and knees before he stopped breathing.

Cesur Celik told reporters today at the Montreal courthouse that the family will boycott the hearings, saying they have lost trust in various government institutions and consider the inquiry process unfair.

The parents were slated to be the first witnesses but maintained their position they would not testify despite being subpoenaed by the coroner.

Coroner Luc Malouin told the inquiry he wouldn’t hold the couple in contempt given all they’ve been through in the past five years but would table their previous statements into the record.

The inquiry is scheduled to last a total of three weeks spread over the next few months, and Malouin noted he is not seeking to determine guilt but to establish facts and issue recommendations.