Solomon Uyarasuk inquest: Jury recommends reopening investigation

The jury at a coroner's inquest in Igloolik is recommending the investigation into the death of SolomonUyarasuk in RCMP cells be reopened.

Uyarasuk died in September 2012 after he was taken into custodyfollowing a complaint about loud noise in his housing unit.

A nurse testified he foundUyarasukunresponsive with a belt around his neck,hooked to the cell door.

The lawyer for the RCMP had asked the jury to find suicideas the manner of death, but the jury decided on a verdict of undetermined.

The coroner's jury of threemen and threewomen came up with nine recommendations, many of them suggestions from Uyarasuk's family.

Besides reopening the investigation into his death, they alsoinclude:

• never leaving a prisoner unattended
• that RCMP immediately take steps to install video surveillance cameras in all RCMP vehicles, detachments andcells and electronically store the recordings
• that GN medical staff adhere to the policy of seeing patients in the custody of the RCMP only in designated health centres or hospitals in Nunavut
• training for all RCMP members in Inuit knowledge and culture
• that the RCMP issuea service knife to officers in uniform in all Nunavutdetachments
• that RCMP receive orientation about the detachment where they are working ... including the location of thefirst aid kitand other supplies
• that RCMP detachments be inspected regularly and thatdeficiencies are fixed in a timely manner
• that the RCMP acquire hook knives for all RCMP cell block areas

Garth Eggenberger, a coroner from the N.W.T., handled the inquest on behalf of Nunavut's Chief Coroner Padma Suramala. He thanked the jury for their work.

Uyarasuk's biological mother Rhoda Qanatsiaqsaid she is happy with the verdict and thatit was the one she was hoping for. She saidshe got more out of the inquest than she thought she would but she's still finding it difficult to move on from her son's death.