REGINA – A public inquest into the police shooting death of 26-year-old Ryan Booker started Monday in Regina.
Booker was shot during an altercation with police following a highway pursuit and a six-hour standoff. Police say Booker was seen in possession of a firearm at a parking lot in Moose Jaw on July 17, 2022.
RCMP Critical Incident Response Team and Regina SWAT had been called to assist and crisis negotiators tried to de-escalate the situation.
According to Booker’s obituary on the Davidson Leader, he left behind two sons, and his fiance Kaity Hofer, the mother of his children.
His obituary says that he loved the outdoors and took an interest in fishing and hunting at an early age.
“He spent countless days fishing the shores of Lake Diefenbaker, many times going well into the night with his headlights lighting the way at the boat launch. But hunting was his true passion. He would walk for hours through bush, pastures or sandhills just hoping for a glimpse of a big buck. He was selfless, so many times pushing bush for his friends and family in the hopes that they tag out before him, trying to ensure they enjoyed the outdoors as much as he always did. The experience always meant more to him than filling his tag.”
Booker also loved to spend time in the mountains while visiting family in British Columbia.
The Saskatchewan Coroners Service investigates sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner's jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
