Coroner confirms Ronny Kay's Death as Police Suicide
Montreal, September 2022: The death of financial advisor Ronny Kay at the hands of police officers was labeled a "suicide by cop" by coroner Louis Normandin, prompting his sisters to call for a public inquiry, questioning the handling of the incident. They claimed that Kay was not suicidal.
Following his brother's death, the sisters expressed their confusion over how a distress call led to his fatal confrontation with police. Inquiry requests were promptly made due to the plethora of unanswered questions surrounding the police intervention.
The coroner's report, for the most part, offered limited details and no recommendations. It described Kay's last moments, revealing that an unexpected visit by his ex-partner escalated the situation, leading to her calling 911. Kay reportedly had a longstanding fear of police after a troubling arrest in 2011.
Kay verbalized suicidal thoughts to his ex-partner, employer, and a family member prior to the incident. During the encounter with the police, he repeatedly expressed his intention to either take his own life or be killed. An officer confirmed that Kay looked at his service weapon before drawing a replica firearm and pointing it at her while advancing. She left the scene, and Kay proceeded to walk around the neighborhood, determined to find the police.
Upon encountering the police again, Kay disobeyed repeated orders to drop his toy gun. He reportedly charged at the officers while pointing the weapon, leading to one of them opening fire. Kay was fatally shot.
Ronny Kay's struggles with internal turmoil were evident over an extended period. A stay in a psychiatric hospital followed a psychotic episode in 2011, and he only adhered to his medication for a few weeks. A month before his death, he drafted a will, addressing the lingering wounds from the 2011 police encounter, which he believed had broken and permanently injured him. He expressed hope for justice and sought forgiveness from his loved ones. The following day, he confided his suicidal thoughts to his employer. The coroner noted a deterioration in his mental state without specifying the source.
The eventual 911 call, according to coroner Normandin, pushed Kay over the edge of his suffering and led him to relive the same trauma as in 2011.
To meet the criteria for "suicide by cop," the coroner explained that Kay exhibited four behaviors: expressing suicidal intent, acting upon it, possessing a real or fake weapon, and provoking a confrontation with law enforcement. While Kay did not make the initial 911 call, he pursued the police after they left his residence.
Cases like Kay's where the "suicide by cop" hypothesis is being studied by Canadian coroners are not uncommon. Not all coroners accept the term; it was dismissed in the cases of Riley Fairholm (2018, Lac-Brome) and Sammy Yatim (2013, Toronto).
Ronny Kay's sisters can reach out to interveners any time at 1 866 APPELLE (1 866 277-3553), text (535353), or chat at suicide.ca if they need assistance or are concerned about someone else.
Further reading:- An image of the Macron couple evoking various reactions- Raphael André's death due to lack of care and support, as concluded by the coroner- Fourth coroner recommends lowering legal blood alcohol limit
- In light of Ronny Kay's death, concerns over the interaction between mental health, law enforcement, and the public are resurfacing in the general-news arena, as his case is being reevaluated by some coroners as an example of "suicide by cop."
- The sisters of Ronny Kay, who lost him due to a police encounter labeled 'suicide by cop,' are advocating for improved mental-health services and scrutiny of the justice system in the health-and-wellness and crime-and-justice sectors.
- As the discussion surrounding 'suicide by cop' continues, experts, including coroners, are reconvening to study and understand the circumstances related to such incidents, optimizing their responses in the housing, science, and general-news domains to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
