Inquest into N.W.T. inmate's death delves into corrections officer training and response

A coroner's inquest into the death of Marty Bouvier, who died at the Fort Smith Correctional Complex, is underway in Fort Smith, N.W.T.

Bouvier, originally of Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T., was found dead in his cell on Nov. 22, 2021. He was 27. 

On day one of the inquest, witnesses said Bouvier was the victim of an apparent suicide. 

The inquest is being held to determine what lessons can be learned to prevent future deaths — not to determine guilt or innocence. Chief coroner Garth Eggenberger is overseeing the inquest. Also present are one lawyer for the coroner and two for the N.W.T. government. 

Bouvier's sister, Melissa Mandeville, represented the family and was able to ask the witnesses questions over the phone. 

Video surveillance presented Tuesday showed that corrections officers appeared to miss warning signs that something was amiss in Bouvier's cell. A sheet of paper placed over the cell window for privacy while using the toilet remained in place for far longer than it should have.

Two corrections officers who were on duty that night, and who testified Tuesday, said that in hindsight, they shouldn't have waited as long as they did before investigating. They attributed this oversight to a lack of training.

The first video clip played at the inquest showed a view of "the pod," a large room with tables attached to the floor which acts as the living area for inmates. Doors to the inmate's cells line the room and a correctional officer can be seen doing inmate checks every hour.

The second clip showed a view of the desk at the entrance to the pod where a correctional officer is seated, watching a movie on the computer screen in between checks.

Questions directed at both corrections officers revolved around their policies and training, night shift checklists and responsibilities, watching TV during the night shift and the policy for hourly checks. All agreed that the officer is required to get a visual confirmation of a living, breathing person when they look into the cell.

Both corrections officers had finished the Corrections Northern Recruitment Training Program just over six months before the incident. One was a full-time employee and the other was a relief officer. One of the corrections officers said he didn't feel fully trained for the situation.

The responding EMS officer also testified Tuesday. He described arriving at the scene and trying to wake Bouvier with pain response techniques. When Bouvier didn't respond, he immediately started life saving procedures, which included CPR, oxygen, and attaching an defibrillator, which ultimately showed Bouvier had no heart rhythm.

The last two witnesses were the RCMP officers who attended the scene and investigated the death.

The first officer described arriving to find Bouvier on the floor with a grey cloth around his neck. She said by assessing the scene, the security footage, witness statements and the presence of a suicide note, she was able to determine that there was no criminal activity involved in the death.