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IQALUIT
The six-member jury reached a verdict in a coroner's inquest into the 2009 death of Adamie Nuturalak in police custody, and released their recommendations this morning.

A coroner's inquest is awaiting jury deliberations into the death of Adamie Nuturalak in 2009. Nuturalak died in police custody in a cell much like the Iqaluit RCMP detachment drunk tank cell pictured. - NNSL file photo

They determined Nuturalak died on Dec. 9, 2009 between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. from acute ethanol intoxication. They ruled the death accidental.

The jury also made three recommendations. The first is: "The RCMP shall obtain an external review of their policies and procedures regarding the assessment of intoxicated individuals and how they are monitored within the cells."

The second is: "RCMP officers should be provided a device, such as breathalyzer, to determine an individual's blood alcohol level. This would assist in determining if an individual should go to the cell or the hospital, reducing the liability of RCMP officers and the risk for prisoners."

The third recommendation is: "The guard should check inmates for verbal responsiveness every hour. The guard should record this in the log. If the guard is unable to receive verbal response from an inmate, an officer should be notified immediately."

The inquest, headed by former NWT chief coroner Garth Eggenberger, heard from a civilian guard at the RCMP cells, seven RCMP members and two emergency medical technicians since it started on March 12. The jury started deliberations at 3 p.m. on March 13. In his instructions to the jury, Eggenberger did not suggest any recommendations for them to make.

Lawyers for the coroner, the City of Iqaluit and the RCMP, summarized the facts of the case from their perspectives.

Michael Chandler, counsel for the coroner, said Nuturalak was arrested, intoxicated, on Dec. 8, 2009 outside Iqaluit's Northmart and lodged into RCMP cells until he sobered up. Nuturalak was released some 11 hours later at 10:36 p.m. on the same day. By 12:40 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2009, Nuturalak was arrested again, said Chandler, at an Iqaluit home where he had made his way looking for something to drink. Nuturalak consumed vast amounts of a 60-ounce bottle of Vodka before his family called the RCMP as he seemed distressed. Nuturalak was again lodged into the RCMP cells, where a civilian guard heard him snore through the night. At 8:15 a.m., Nuturalak was found unresponsive and an ambulance was called, said Chandler.

Teresa Haykowsky, the lawyer for the City of Iqaluit, confirmed an ambulance was dispatched to the cells at 8:21 a.m. as a prisoner would not wake up. She said the response time was good and the emergency medical technicians performed CPR and gave shock treatment.

Rohan Brown, counsel for the RCMP, had a similar version of events except he said Nuturalak was arrested a second time as he was acting aggressively towards his family. The RCMP assessed whether Nuturalak should go to hospital but had no indication he should. Brown said the family did not provide any information as to the amount of alcohol Nuturalak consumed.

Haykowsky gave the jury no recommendations; she said they are not needed because there is no evidence suggesting aspects of the response should be changed for future incidents. She added the responders did as they should.

A statement from Nuturalak's common-law wife, and the autopsy report, were also entered as evidence. Chandler said the report shows Nuturalak died from acute alcohol intoxication with a secondary possible cause of coronary hypertension.

Brown provided no specific recommendations to the jury but read seven of the recommendations Coroner's inquests are mandatory for deaths that happen in police custody.

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