Silverfox wasn't well in custody: ex-guard

The Yukon coroner's inquest reviewing the 2008 death of Raymond Silverfox in RCMP custody has heard from a fellow inmate and a former police guard who observed some of the Carmacks man's final hours.

Silverfox, 43, died after spending 12 hours in an RCMP holding cell in Whitehorse on Dec. 2, 2008. A coroner's inquest is mandatory in cases where a person dies in police custody.

The inquest heard a taped statement Monday from Craig McClelland, a former guard at the RCMP detachment who now lives in China.

In the statement, which McClelland gave to investigators soon after Silverfox's death, he said Silverfox was co-operative and reasonable — but also seemed very drunk and unsteady on his feet — when he was being booked into the holding cell early on the morning of Dec. 2.

The inquest has already heard that Silverfox appeared to be very intoxicated when police picked him up at the Whitehorse Salvation Army shelter.

McClelland said he checked on Silverfox a couple of times through the night, during which time he saw Silverfox dry heaving for some time, as well as tossing from side to side.

McClelland also said he checked a video monitor and through the cell window, and saw that Silverfox had vomited and urinated in the cell.

But McClelland said while he thought it was unusual that Silverfox could not get settled in the cell, he did not think he should call for an ambulance.

Two other men were in the same holding cell at the time, including Douglas Jack Jr., who testified on Friday that he knew something was wrong with Silverfox.

Jack told the inquest panel that Silverfox was "letting his bodily fluids go, rolling around in his dirt, making god-awful noises."

As Jack was being released from custody around 7 a.m., he told a guard that Silverfox needed help. But the guard replied, "Get your stuff and get out — we're really busy today," Jack said in his testimony.

The inquest panel was shown a video of Silverfox in the holding cell, but his family requested that it not be shown to the public.

The inquest, which began Thursday, continues through this week.