The BC Coroners Service public inquest into the death of Steven Joseph Scott, who died in Penticton RCMP holding cells, has been rescheduled.
Originally scheduled to take place in February, the inquest will now begin on Nov. 3, 2014 at the Penticton courthouse.
Scott, 30, of no fixed address, died on Aug. 10, 2012. He had been arrested as a result of a disturbance call and a refusal to leave a Penticton residence. Scott was remanded by a justice of the peace and was found dead in his cell the following morning.
The Coroners Act makes an inquest mandatory in almost all cases in which a person dies while in police custody. The inquest, a formal process, allows for public presentation of evidence relating to a death. Barbara McLintock, a spokesperson with BC Coroners Service, said the delays were to allow for further investigations to be completed.
At the inquest, presiding coroner Larry Marzinzik and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding Scott's death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.