STEP, MAN. –

A judge is urging the Manitoba government to consider setting up a secure care center in a northern community to prevent in-custody deaths from intoxication.

The recommendation follows an inquest into the 2019 death of John Ettawakapow in the town of The Pas.

Following the investigation, the RCMP arrested the 54-year-old man on October 5, 2019, on a charge of causing a disturbance while intoxicated. He was being held in a police cell with two others when a cellmate inadvertently put his leg and foot on Ettawakapow’s neck and face.

“Mr Ettawakapow died in police care from a preventable cause. He needed help, but he didn’t get it,” Chief Justice Brian Colli said in the report released Thursday.

Colli asked the Department of Justice to work with local First Nations, community organizations in The Pas and the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba to establish an alternative form of care for intoxicated people who do not pose a threat to themselves or others.

During the inquest, the executive director of Winnipeg’s Main Street Project spoke about a program that provides safe accommodation for intoxicated people detained by police. The protective care program is considered a safer option than spending time in a police cell.

“Such a program, in my opinion, if well designed, would eliminate the type of death that Mr. Ettawakapow suffered and also free up police resources to deal with other threats to community safety,” he said. Colli wrote in his report.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the province has been working with local organizations on a community wellness and safety plan.

“There’s a lot of potential for improvement, not just in The Pas, but across the province,” he said Thursday. “As each community comes forward with their specific plans and recommendations, this is where I think there will be opportunities for us to act as a government to support the specific needs they have.”

Ettawakapow was a First Nations man from nearby Moose Lake. He was a longtime member of The Pas’ homeless community.

Ettawakapow’s family told the inquest that he was a good man who was more than his addiction and that he was loved.

Police officers, including those who were present the night of his death, testified that Ettawakapow was a joy to be around. Some considered him a friend, with one officer telling the inquest he sometimes bought the man coffee and food.

Ettawakapow was placed in a cell shortly after 7 p.m. the night police took him.

Surveillance video presented during the investigation shows Ettawakapow being laid on the ground. About an hour later, while Ettawakapow was on his back, a cellmate put his foot over the man’s neck and lower face.

The video shows Ettawakapow trying to move the man’s leg off of him without success. The last time Ettawakapow was seen moving on video was around 8:20 p.m

The inquest heard policy requires guards to physically check on prisoners at least once every 15 minutes by opening a slot in the cell door and peering inside. Guards are expected to use the monitors between physical checks.

The report said only one physical check was conducted before an officer discovered Ettawakapow in distress about five hours later.

“Had police policy been followed, it is likely that Mr. Ettawakapow would not have died that night,” Colli wrote.

The inquest heard that both police and emergency medical personnel made persistent efforts to revive him before he was pronounced dead.

The chief medical examiner testified that three factors contributed to Ettawakapow’s death: alcohol toxicity, pre-existing heart disease and the foot being placed on his face and neck.

Colli also asked the Health Department to work with the RCMP to implement a program that would give officers quick access to medical personnel who could determine a person’s level of intoxication and whether they should be placed in a holding cell. police.

Police policy does not require medical intervention for intoxication. Instead, the arresting officer must determine whether medical intervention is necessary.

The report said that if medical intervention had been called for and staff had known Ettawakapow’s blood alcohol level, they would have monitored him to make sure he didn’t stop breathing.

“His (Ettawakapow) death was a tragedy. We need to make sure, as best we can, that help comes in time for others who find themselves in need,” said Colli.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 7, 2024.

— By Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg with files from Steve Lambert