VANCOUVER — The mother of Myles Gray, who died after a Vancouver Police beating more than 10 years ago, says she wants the public to hear the full truth “without institutional protection” at a hearing that begins on Monday.

Margaret Gray says no other family should have to go through the same ordeal and the 10-week hearing by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of B.C. is about how her son died and why “accountability failed.”

Myles Gray died after a beating by officers in August 2015 that left him with injuries including ruptured testicles and fractures to his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib.

A police discipline authority cleared seven Vancouver officers of wrongdoing in the death in October 2024.

A coroner’s inquest had earlier found Gray died by homicide, although coroner Larry Marzinzik told the jury the term is neutral and does not imply fault or blame.

Margaret Gray is slated to be the first witness at the hearing starting next week, and says in a written statement that she hopes to see changes to prevent what happened to her son ever happening again.

Police complaint commissioner Prabhu Rajan called the hearing after a request from the Gray family.

Brian Smith, general counsel for the commissioner’s office, told a media briefing on Thursday that the officers involved in Gray’s death can’t be compelled to testify at the hearing and it’s unknown if they’ll choose to do so.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2025.

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press