Inquest called into 2019 death of man in RCMP holding cell in The Pas
Sarah Petz | CBC News | Posted: April 20, 2022 10:59 PM | Last Updated: April 20, 2022
John Ettawakapow, 54, died after being arrested for public intoxication
Manitoba's chief medical examiner has called an inquest into the 2019 death of a man inside an RCMP holding cell in The Pas.
John Ettawakapow, 54, died on Oct. 6, 2019 after being arrested for public intoxication. He was found unconscious and not breathing at about 1:30 a.m. by an officer, a news release from the office of Chief Medical Examiner Dr. John K. Younes said Wednesday.
Officers administered CPR, but paramedics pronounced him dead just before 2 a.m.
A CBC investigation into in-custody deaths last year revealed that Ettawakapow was possibly smothered to death in a holding cell by a fellow detainee's leg.
Ettawakapow's autopsy report says external neck compression, heart disease and the large amount of alcohol in his system contributed to this death, but the cause was undetermined.
A review of surveillance video showed a cellmate rolling over while sleeping, with his leg resting on Ettawakapow's neck for approximately 40 minutes, the news release from Younes said.
Wednesday's news was something Ettawakapow's son, Jeremy Ettawakapow, had spent years waiting for.
He says he's hoping the inquest will prove that his father's death could have been prevented.
"I feel like it's finally getting somewhere. This is very good news for me," he said.
His father's death has weighed heavily on him, an added stress while trying to finish his education degree, he said.
"I never mentioned it to anyone … but this was always something in the back of my mind during my studies," he said.
"But today is like the news I've been waiting for for almost three years, and I'm thrilled."
No charges pursued
Security video from the cell revealed that John's last recorded movements on camera occurred when the leg was placed on his neck at 8:15 p.m., said Manitoba's police watchdog, the Independent Investigation Unit, in its report on Ettawakapow's death.
The IIU report said the civilian guard on shift told investigators that visual checks were done on John every 15 minutes either by video or by physically looking through the cell doors.
The guard said they did not see anything unusual during this time. Another guard who took over around 11:50 p.m. said the same thing.
After the investigation into Ettawakapow's death, IIU civilian director Zane Tessler had concerns that a number of individuals, potentially including inmates and police personnel, might be responsible for his death, the IIU report said.
His findings were forwarded to Manitoba Prosecution Services for an opinion on whether charges should be laid, but prosecutors ultimately decided there was no basis for criminal charges in Ettawakapow's death.
The inquest into Ettawakapow's death was called in accordance with Manitoba's Fatalities Inquiries Act, which requires an inquest whenever a person dies in the custody of a peace officer, the news release from Younes said.
It will determine the circumstances surrounding the death and whether anything can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Information about when and where the inquest will happen will be determined by the chief judge of the provincial court of Manitoba and released at a later date.