The Ontario Provincial Police Criminal Investigation Branch is investigating the sudden death of a 23-year-old woman while in police custody in Kasabonika.
“At this point it appears that it was a death in custody and as such will be subject to a mandatory inquest,” said Dr. Michael Wilson, regional supervising coroner in Thunder Bay. “It is quite likely that there will be an inquest. It is my understanding of the case that she was in custody at the time of her death, so an inquest is mandatory under the Coroners Act.”
Wilson said the inquest would be held once the investigation is complete and no other criminal charges need to be pursued.
The woman died on the evening of Feb. 1 while in police custody of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service’s Kasabonika Lake Detachment.
An OPP spokesman said the investigation is ongoing and there are no further updates as of Feb. 5.
Under the Police Services Act of Ontario, the Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigates any death, serious injury or allegation of sexual assualt that occurs while a person is in police custody. However, NAPS and other First Nations police forces do not fall under the Police Services Act, therefore the SIU is not involved in the investigation.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
I grew up...
I’m happy to see the ongoing support and assistance in our northern remote communities to help our people cope with so many lifelong and generational issues...