A man who was shot by police at a ferry terminal six years ago came to Nanaimo after shooting a drug dealer, his family testified.

A B.C. Coroners Service-led inquest into the death of Jer Wood, 39, began Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Nanaimo courthouse, seeking to determine circumstances of death and recommendations to prevent similar incidents. 

Wood died in at Departure Bay terminal on May 8, 2018. At the time, police told the Nanaimo News Bulletin that following a carjacking in Penticton, officers were attempting an arrest. The first to take the stand was Sharon Smallwood, Wood's mother.

Smallwood said her son, a Red Seal-certified chef, was "charming, magnetic and caring," and while he was very much against hard drug usage, suffered a back injury which required "a very heavy dose of opioids." After medication was discontinued, he resorted to street drugs, she said. Smallwood said Wood was also dealing with a workers' compensation claim and was depressed and frustrated as a result.

Relaying information from police, Smallwood testified that her son know his life was ending, because he was unable to overcome addiction, and he went after drug dealers with a gun. He met one dealer and shot him, she said, but the dealer did not die. Wood subsequently fled and came to Nanaimo, where he had friends.

The B.C. Coroners Act mandates inquests for incidents where people die when being detained, or while in the custody of law enforcement. The inquest is scheduled to run until Monday, Nov. 18, and nearly two dozen witnesses are expected to testify.

In October 2018, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. absolved police officers at the scene of wrongdoing.

Larry Marzinzik is presiding coroner, assisted by a jury. Steve Liu is inquest counsel and David Kwan and Graham Hallson are counsel for the Attorney General of Canada, attending on behalf of the RCMP.