Jury in Kugluktuk coroner's inquest rules death accidental, makes recommendations around prisoner protection

After a four day coroner's inquest into a man who died while in police custody, a jury handed down their recommendations for how Nunavut RCMP, the hamlet of Kugluktuk, and the Nunavut Government can prevent similar incidents in the future.

In 2018, 22-year-old Austin Maniyogena died while in police custody at Yellowknife's hospital as a result of a head injury he sustained after his detainment by a Kugluktuk bylaw officer.

The inquest jury found Maniyogena's death to have been accidental, and the result of severe head trauma likely caused by a fall.

The jury also made several non-binding recommendations. Among them are sensitivity training and body cameras for RCMP to document officers' actions and build trust with community members. The jury also recommended training police to seek medical attention for unresponsive prisoners, regardless of any level of intoxication. 

"Reduced consciousness due to intoxication does not affect the need for medical assessment," one juror said during the verdict hearing.

Maniyogena was first detained by Kugluktuk bylaw officer Matthew MacDonald who was responding to reports of Maniyogena driving an ATV while intoxicated. MacDonald told the coroner's inquest that he had never arrested anyone before Maniyogena. 

He said that he called RCMP and was told by Cpl. Tim Fiset to drive Maniyogena to the detachment. 

MacDonald testified that on the way, Maniyogena escaped through the bylaw vehicle's window and fell to the road. He said this left Maniyogena with blood around his nose and ear and a cut above his eye.

MacDonald said he phoned the hamlet's health centre and asked for an ambulance, and never saw Maniyogena regain consciousness.

He said he called RCMP again. Fiset arrived on scene and both officers put Maniyogena into the back of Fiset's vehicle. 

MacDonald testified he told Fiset what had happened and that an ambulance was on the way.

The bylaw officer's account differs from that of RCMP Cpl. Fiset's. 

Fiset testified that when he arrived at the scene of Maniyogena's fall, he was injured, "very intoxicated" and had a cut above his eye.

Unlike MacDonald, however, Fiset said Maniyogena was conscious and responded when he spoke to him. Fiset said he was never told that the health centre had already been called or that an ambulance was on its way. The community member driving the Kugluktuk ambulance that day testified that when she arrived, no one was on scene.