‘I don’t buy it’: Best friend of Sask. man who died after violent arrest rejects SIRT report findings

Chase Sinclair (Laura Woodward/CTV News)

Chase Sinclair isn’t accepting a report about his best friend’s violent arrest at the hands of Prince Albert police.

“I don’t buy it,” Sinclair told CTV News.

In its 12-page report, the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) clears the officers of any criminal wrongdoing during the arrest of Boden Umpherville.

The 40-year-old died in hospital on April 26, 2023 following a confrontation with officers earlier that month.

On April 1, 2023, Prince Albert police stopped a vehicle that was reported stolen.

Umpherville refused to get out of the vehicle, according to the SIRT report. While resisting arrest, Umpherville rammed the car into a police cruiser.

When officers eventually arrested Umpherville, they found a gun in his waistband and a knife strapped to his chest, according to the report.

Police fired their tasers 15 times, used batons, physical force and pepper spray.

The report concluded Umpherville’s cause of death was cardiac arrest — brought on by cocaine intoxication and positional asphyxia, which happens when a person’s body position prevents them from breathing.

“The overdose of cocaine, I don’t believe it for a second. It’s dark at night and they’re saying in the report that he looked gray-ish. How do you even tell that in the night?” Sinclair questioned.

“I just find there’s a lot of discrepancies in it, and I don’t accept it,” Sinclair said.

SIRT interviewed on-scene officers, civilian witnesses, paramedics and “several associates of the affected person.”

SIRT also analyzed police vehicle recordings, police radio transmissions, dispatch audio, surveillance footage and cellphone video of the incident — which was circulating on social media.

Sinclair is calling for all video and audio to be released.

“Transparency is what we’re after,” Sinclair said.

“It’s been two years and I’ve tried endless times to talk with officers that were on-duty at that incident and nothing has been said. It’s just like, ‘You sit over there, and you wait for what we tell you happened,’ and I’m not okay with that.”

Sinclair believes police violence caused his friend to die and wants officers to be held accountable.

“There are no grounds to believe that any subject officer committed any Criminal Code offence during the course of this incident. As a result, no charges will be laid," SIRT ruled in its report.

In an email to CTV News, the Prince Albert Police Service said it’s taking “the coming days to review the report in its entirety before making further comments publicly. We recognize the significant impact that Boden’s death has had on his family and friends and our thoughts remain with them during this difficult time.”

The timeline of Boden Umpherville’s April 1, 2023 death: SIRT report

1:54 a.m. — Prince Albert Police receive a 9-1-1 call from a woman reporting a stolen vehicle.

2:20 a.m. — A police officer recognizes the stolen vehicle on 13th Street West. There are three people inside, Umpherville is in the front seat. Police ask the driver and two passengers for their names. Umpherville gives police a fake name.

2:23 a.m. — A second officer arrives to the scene and sees open alcohol in the car. The cop notices Umpherville reaching for his waistband and urges Umpherville to show his hands. Umpherville complies.

2:25 a.m. — Three more police officers, in separate vehicles, get to the scene. One of them recognizes Umpherville based on his past criminal history.

2:27 a.m. — An officer notices Umpherville reach toward his waistband. The officer commands Umpherville to show his hands. He doesn’t comply. The officer asks Umpherville to step out of the vehicle, advising he is under arrest for outstanding warrants. The officer tries to pull Umpherville out of the car. Officers trigger their tasers, while yelling at Umpherville to get out of the car.

2:28 a.m. — A cop attempts to strike Umpherville with a baton, another officer deploys pepper spray. Umpherville slides from the passenger seat into the driver’s seat. Officers continue to yell and trigger their tasers. Umpherville puts the car in drive and crashes into one of the parked police cruisers. Umpherville shuts the driver-side door.

2:29 a.m. — Umpherville attempts to put the car in reverse, but it doesn’t move. Officers again trigger their tasers and deploy pepper spray. Cops strike Umpherville in the head.

2:30 a.m. — Officers pull Umphervile out of the vehicle and put him on the ground next to the driver’s side of the car. He continues to resist arrest. An officer takes Umpherville’s gun.

2:31 a.m. — Police remove a knife that was strapped to Umpherville’s chest. An officer uses his knee to hit Umpherville. Two more police vehicles arrive to the scene.

2:32 a.m. — Umpherville is put in handcuffs in front of his body, with his hands raised above his head. Umpherville says, “I can’t breathe.” An officer tells Umpherville no one is restricting his breathing. Umpherville attempts to escape.

2:34 a.m. — A restraint strap is put around Umpherville’s legs. Umpherville continues to yell and struggle. Police remove the handcuffs and attempt to re-handcuff him, this time behind his back. An officer strikes Umpherville’s torso.

2:38 a.m. — Paramedics get to the scene and ask Umpherville if he would walk to the ambulance; he continues to struggle. They put Umpherville on a stretcher.

2:41 a.m. — While transporting Umpherville on a stretcher to the ambulance, paramedics noticed Umpherville’s breathing get shallow and eventually stop. While in the ambulance, paramedics determine his heart had stopped. Police officers begin doing chest compressions, while paramedics intubate Umpherville to provide oxygen.

2:55 a.m. — On the ride to the hospital, Umpherville’s pulse returns. By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital at 3:01 a.m., his heart had stopped again.

April 2, 2023 — Umpherville gets transferred to a hospital in Saskatoon, where he is put on life support with no brain activity.

April 26, 2023 — Umpherville’s family removes him from life support and he dies in hospital.