Public Hearing Into Myles Gray's Death Abruptly Suspended After Inappropriate Language Incident
The third day of a highly anticipated public hearing examining the violent police arrest that led to the death of Myles Gray came to an unexpected and abrupt halt this week. Proceedings were suspended after what officials described as "obscene" and "inappropriate" language was captured by the hearing's audio stream, forcing an immediate adjournment.
Hearing Delayed Until Monday Following Controversial Incident
According to an unsigned email from the Office of the Public Complaint Commissioner released on Thursday, the public hearing will not resume until Monday. The email confirmed that the Wednesday afternoon session failed to restart following the lunch break while the adjudicator addressed a confidential matter behind closed doors.
"It is our understanding that certain obscene language was captured by the audio stream of the hearing," the statement read. "The use of inappropriate language during a public hearing is serious and unacceptable."
Sources familiar with the proceedings revealed that the offensive remark included a vulgar word beginning with 'c' used as a slur against women, preceded by a derogatory adjective. The comment was apparently captured by a live microphone, though the identity of the speaker remains undisclosed.
Family Expresses Frustration Over Delay
Margie Gray, mother of the deceased Myles Gray, expressed her disappointment with the suspension of proceedings. While acknowledging the offensive nature of the language, she emphasized that the focus should remain on her son's death.
"It was a comment made that wasn't meant to be heard," Gray stated. "It was offensive, but it shouldn't take precedence over my son's death. It's supposed to be a time out or something."
The hearing, which was scheduled to continue for ten weeks before retired B.C. Supreme Court Judge Elizabeth Arnold-Bailey, represents a crucial examination of events surrounding Gray's death during a police encounter in August 2015.
Testimony Details Emerge Before Suspension
Prior to the suspension, testimony from RCMP Sgt. Robert Nash revealed significant details about the incident that led to Gray's death. Playing of radio communications from August 13, 2015, disclosed that two of the seven Vancouver police officers present during the arrest sustained injuries:
- One officer suffered a possible jaw injury
- Another sustained a bleeding head wound
Additional testimony indicated that Const. Hardeep Sahota urgently requested backup from fellow officers after initially approaching Gray, describing him as aggressive. The incident occurred in a residential area near the Vancouver-Burnaby boundary.
Background and Context of the Hearing
The public hearing was initiated at the Gray family's request by the complaints commissioner following a 2024 internal disciplinary hearing that cleared all seven officers involved of misconduct. Thursday was intended to mark the fourth day of proceedings, with Sgt. Nash scheduled to continue his testimony regarding his investigation under the Police Act.
In response to the language incident, the complaints office disabled the hearing archives on its website on Thursday. Officials urged caution regarding speculation about the source or target of the offensive comment, noting that the matter remains before the adjudicator.
The email from the complaints commissioner did not provide specific reasons for the day-and-a-half suspension or address whether any participants might resign from the proceedings. The development represents another challenging chapter in the long-running investigation into Gray's death, which has drawn significant public attention and scrutiny of police conduct procedures.
