Manitoba

Errol Greene inquest hears from corrections officer

Errol Greene was sitting in a blue chair when he met with a corrections officer for 10 minutes in the hours before having the first of two seizures that lead to his death.

Corrections officer, Ashlee Griffin, met with Greene in the hours before he had his first seizure

Errol Greene suffered from two epilepsy seizures, and later died, while in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. (Submitted by Rochelle Pranteau)

Errol Greene was sitting in a blue chair when he met with a corrections officer for 10 minutes in the hours before having the first of two seizures that lead to his death.

Ashlee Griffin, who works at the Winnipeg Remand Centre, testified at the inquest into Greene's death that she did a custody release plan with him on May 1, 2016.

"We spoke about the address he would be residing … his lawyer … his girlfriend Rochelle and their children," said Griffin, who has been a corrections officer for four years.

Griffin testified that Greene did not tell her he had epilepsy and did not ask for his medication during the short meeting.

"There were no extra requests at any time," she told the court.

A nurse who conducted Greene's health assessment 12 hours after he arrived at the remand centre testified he informed her of his condition and informed her about his medication at that time. 

Code red

Griffin said after she conducted the custody release plan she went to work in "the pod," which is an enclosed area where corrections staff watch the inmates.

She said she saw Greene talking on the phone. Court previously heard he was talking on the phone with his wife Rochelle Pranteau and told her he did not get his epilepsy medication.

Griffin testified she saw the phone fly up and drop, which caught her attention. 

"I saw Mr. Greene on the floor violently shaking," she recounted. "I immediately called a code red."

Errol Greene inquest hears from corrections officer

7 years ago
Duration 1:28
Errol Greene was sitting in a blue chair when he met with a corrections officer for 10 minutes in the hours before having the first of two seizures that lead to his death.

She said she saw Greene's cellmate, Stephen King, run to his side and stay there until a corrections officer arrived. 

She said it was her job to open the doors for officers and medical staff while she was stationed in the pod. She said she saw Greene put in his cell and did not witness the second seizure he had once inside.

Cellmate continued to testify

Greene's cellmate, Stephen King, resumed his testimony Monday morning. Sean Boyd, who represents Manitoba Justice and the Winnipeg Remand Centre, took his turn to cross examine King's account of events leading to Greene's death.

Boyd refuted much of what King said on Friday surrounding Greene's attempts to access his anti-seizure medication.

King testified on Monday he saw Greene fill out two medical request forms and talk to a nurse or corrections officer. King said he also talked to staff on Greene's behalf.

Boyd suggested the evidence was not accurate, a statement King disagreed with. 

"I'm going to suggest to you you had a conversation with a floor supervisor that Greene told you he felt a seizure coming on but he refused to tell staff," Boyd said to King, who insisted that was incorrect and that he never spoke with a supervisor.

The inquest continues on Wednesday and will hear from another inmate who was in custody with Greene when he died.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jillian Taylor is the Executive Producer of News at CBC Manitoba. She started reporting in 2007 and spent more than a decade in the field before moving behind the scenes. Jillian's journalism career has focused on covering issues facing Indigenous people, specifically missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. She is a born-and-raised Manitoban and a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation.