The jury has presented its final recommendations as the inquest into a Saskatchewan man’s death following arrest concludes. Boden Umpherville died in hospital following a 2023 arrest by Prince Albert police. At the end of a five-day inquest into the incident, the jury made four recommendations that could prevent similar deaths in the future. “The process was fair,” said the Umpherville family’s counsel, Peter Abrametz. “If it was simply a numbers game, there were maybe more lawyers on the police side. But life isn’t just determined by numbers. I thought the evidence was treated fairly and the jury was fair. So, I have nothing critical doubt in that regard.” The jury recommended mandating body cameras for Prince Albert police, having one responder stay with the patient from the moment of arrival when medical emergency teams are on site, making it mandatory in traffic stops to have the key turned off and removed, and improving training on asphyxia. The police service says it has added tactical first aid training in the last few years. Deputy Chief Farica Prince says it would be challenging to make mandatory key removal a part of traffic stops, but that the service may look at alternate safety strategies used by other organizations. Implementing body-worn cameras is one of the service’s long-term goals, and it was a recommendation the deputy chief was expecting to hear. “There’s a huge appetite for it,” Prince told reporters outside Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert. “We see the positive outcomes due to body worn cameras, you know, across the province, across the nation. It really is just a matter of finances right now.” The jury concluded the cause of death was asphyxia and cocaine use causing a cardiac arrest that led to significant hypoxia of the brain and opted to classify Umpherville’s manner of death as undetermined. Abrametz said body worn cameras could have made a difference in the jury’s final decision. “If there was more evidence, then things would be more decipherable.” It remains to be seen which recommendations may be implemented.
