The inquest into the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Eishia Hudson in April 2026 has renewed scrutiny over how police handle volatile encounters. Former Toronto officer and instructor Peter Rampat told the court that the Winnipeg Police Service’s use-of-force policy does not reflect contemporary methods that can reduce the need to fire a weapon. Rampat recommended that training be updated to include both tactical options and attention to a subject’s background — including age and cultural identity — when assessing risk.
Those recommendations emerged as part of testimony about a chain of events that began with a liquor store theft, a pursuit of a stolen Jeep and a subsequent confrontation in which the vehicle struck a police cruiser and other cars. An officer fired two shots that killed Hudson. The inquest is examining whether the force was justified, and whether broader issues such as systemic racism influenced the response.
Critique of training and tactical choices
Rampat told the court that the service’s current manuals and practices omit important elements of modern policing. He said scenario-based training and a wider set of alternatives to immediate force were missing from the preparation officers received. Rampat argued that sound training rooted in national standards helps officers better evaluate options when faced with dynamic threats, and that failing to include alternative tactics can lead to outcomes where the harm inflicted is greater than the harm avoided.
What should change in practice
Among the practices Rampat suggested were greater use of de-escalation techniques and structured decision-making tools. He emphasized practical drills, varied scenario work and inclusion of real-world video examples so officers can rehearse non-lethal responses. Rampat also highlighted the need for training to teach how to weigh multiple goals simultaneously — for example, arresting suspects while preserving safety and providing first aid — and how that calculus should inform whether an officer moves closer to a vehicle or creates distance.
De-escalation, mindset and physiological tools
The expert recommended integrating soft skills into tactical instruction. Techniques like tactical breathing and mindfulness were cited as ways to improve clarity under stress, helping officers resist automatic force options and choose safer alternatives. Rampat described de-escalation as a spectrum of responses and an organizational mindset, not merely a single maneuver, and said training should teach how to pause and reassess when possible rather than defaulting to force.
Evidence and contested accounts
Central to the dispute at the inquest is video captured by a witness that Rampat says appears to show the Jeep moving backward at the time shots were fired. He told the court that the recording does not match the shooting officer’s description of the vehicle advancing toward colleagues. Another use-of-force expert retained by the police watchdog, however, concluded the officer’s actions aligned with training, and the Independent Investigation Unit did not recommend charges in its 2026 report. Rampat criticized that earlier assessment because it did not rely on the cellphone video, while the earlier expert said he hesitated to rely on such footage over concerns it might be altered.
Cross-examination and questions about omissions
Winnipeg Police lawyer Kimberly Carswell pressed Rampat on his own analysis, asking why his report left out some witness statements and certain in-vehicle accounts. Carswell argued Rampat had made assumptions — for example about Hudson’s state of mind and steering actions — and noted Rampat acknowledged not seeing everything in the video. Rampat admitted some exclusions were oversights and said he relied more heavily on the objective footage than on varying witness recollections when assessing the vehicle’s motion.
Age, race and the broader inquiry
Throughout the inquest, questions about race and age have been prominent. Police initially described the robbery suspects as Indigenous and between 15 and 18 years old, a detail that Rampat said should factor into tactical choices because younger people can react differently under stress. Experts testifying to possible racial stereotyping have suggested such factors could have shaped the response; Rampat said he could not definitively determine whether systemic racism caused the shooting, leaving that assessment to the inquest.
What comes next
The inquest will continue to hear evidence, including testimony from a Winnipeg police expert in June, before lawyers present final submissions. While an inquest does not assign criminal blame, it can issue recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths. Hudson’s death sparked protests and calls for public inquiries into police-related deaths of Indigenous people, and it remains part of a larger conversation about how police train for complex, rapidly evolving situations.
