Gang member spoke about dying by cop to brother before shooting death

Peters spent years in the gang task force and also the homicide/major crimes unit and was given the job of investigating the RCMP with other members of the SPS, all sergeants by rank.

He gave his opinion as someone who was knowledgeable on the conversation style of gang members. He said ‘do a life bit’ meant to him that McDonald was preparing for a life sentence for murder.

In the hours before he died, McDonald had gone to the home in Montreal Lake occupied by his father, Dirk. When he got there, he was not acting normally, according to information gathered by the SPS investigators.

Dirk had left his home at about 3:40 that afternoon for a short while and when he got back, Dillon was inside – a violation of previous release conditions from a court.

“Dillon did not seem quite right. He was talking to people that weren’t there,” Peters said.

He had consumed part of a 60 ounce bottle of hard liquor and had an unloaded shotgun that he was also banned from having. He told his father he planned to burn the house down. After some time, Dirk was allowed to leave and then called police.

“Dillon was threatening to burn down the house or take someone with him,” Peters said.

RCMP officers from the community responded and locked down the area and waited for more response from the Emergency Response Team (ERT). Local security officers got the fire truck ready and began making plans for a possible evacuation of nearby homes.

Civilian video of the moments leading up to McDonald’s death show smoke coming from the house. It this point, it was dark and multiple officers were on scene.

McDonald did not have a cell phone on him and the house had no landline so when the crisis negotiator began working, the only way to communicate was over a ‘loud hailer’ or speaker system.

It did not work and McDonald refused to respond. Instead, windows were broken and the fire was lit inside the building.

Just before 10:30 pm, he came outside of the house waving a shotgun, swearing at officers. Video shows multiple requests for McDonald to put the gun down but he refused. When he started to lower it, he was immediately shot by two snipers and a second later a third officer.

Several months before he died, McDonald had been arrested after being found passed out in a grave yard with a loaded rifle that had been sawed off. He was released on conditions about six days before he died.

His conditions were to live with his sister in Stanley Mission and to not be within five kilometres of Montreal Lake Cree Nation. As is standard, released offenders also are prohibited from consuming drugs or alcohol and not have weapons.

His criminal record began in 2014 with convictions including assault, uttering threats and failing to abide by conditions.

The empty shotgun recovered by police at the scene of his death had the serial number scratched off and the fire he had lit went out on its own.

When asked by the coroner’s counsel what changes might have prevented the death from happening, Peters said that possibly the safest place for McDonald would have been to stay in jail until he could get help.

The inquest continues today at Prince Albert’s Coronet Hotel.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social

by Susan McNeil

Gang member spoke about dying by cop to brother before shooting death

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