SAULT STE. MARIE — Brian Sweeney and his family know a coroner's inquest won't bring his daughter Angie back, but they have formally requested one in the hopes it will prevent a similar tragedy from happening to someone else.
On Tuesday, Sweeney and close members of Angie's family attended the Police Services Building to be briefed on a new pilot project put in place by Sault Police in response to her death at the hands of ex-boyfriend Bobbie Hallaert. The family also heard for the first time the final 911 calls she made the day before and the day of her killing.
After the family had been briefed, Chief Hugh Stevenson revealed to the media that Angie had told a 911 dispatcher the day before the killings that she and Hallaert had a previous physical altercation. But that important detail, the chief said, was never added to the records for the call or provided to responding officers.
Sweeney said it was difficult to hear his daughter in her most vulnerable moment, but he took some comfort in listening to the 911 calls.
"It was beautiful to hear voice again. She was standing her ground like the girl she was brought up to be, you know what I mean?" Sweeney said, in an interview with SooToday. "Hearing that part of the conversation, that she didn't back down and she stood her ground, made me really proud."
"But you know what? There was nobody there to help her," he added.
SEE: ‘She was a hero’: Mass shooting victim Angie Sweeney saved her daughter’s life
The new pilot project announced by Stevenson will ensure that all Intimate Partner Violence calls for service that don't result in charges are reviewed and followed up on to ensure police didn't miss anything. It also comes at the same time as enhanced training and policies for officers and 911 operator staff.
"It's a step in the right direction and I'm glad the chief and his senior officers realize there are defects in the way they handle IPV and domestic violence and I'm glad he's stepping forward initiating the pilot project," Sweeney said.
About two weeks ago, the Sweeneys made the first steps in formally requesting a coroner's inquest from the Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC). If granted, an inquest would look deeper into the circumstances that led up to the Oct. 23 killing that left four victims dead, including three children, and another woman injured.
Sweeney previously told SooToday he doesn't believe an inquiry will result in immediate change and he stood by that assessment Wednesday, citing inaction by various levels of government in response to the 86 recommendations for change that came out of the June 2022 Renfrew County Inquest into the IPV deaths of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam.
"They've done nothing about it," Sweeney said. "They've had a year and a half that they've done nothing."
Regardless, Sweeney said on Wednesday that his family would like an inquest to be held.
"I want it because I want everyone to know. I want everyone to know the damn truth," he said.
Speaking generally, Stephanie Rea, issues manager with the OCC, said lot needs to happen before a decision can be made to hold a discretionary inquest. They generally take place only after all other investigations and prosecutions have been conducted and appeal periods have expired.
"An Inquest Team will need to be established, the documentation and evidence will need to be collected. The team seeks input from the family and stakeholders to strategize issues and potential recommendations and create the scope of the inquest," said Rea. "As this would be a discretionary inquest, the final decision rests with Chief Coroner."
Rea noted this case has been recommended for review by the OCC’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. That report and recommendations will be released in an annual report, but all information will be anonymized.
Although Sweeney said he doesn't expect change to come out of an inquest, he still holds out hope that some good will come of it.
"This is about what is happening and the result of what's happening," he said. "For all the heartache me and my family have been through I wouldn't want anyone to feel the way I feel."
