An inmate of the Bordeaux prison died following a physical intervention by the correctional officers of the establishment on Saturday afternoon. One officer has been temporarily relieved of his duties and two investigations are ongoing.
The death of Nicous D’Andre Spring, 21, was found in a hospital center on Sunday, indicates the Ministry of Public Security (MSP).
“The incarcerated person had been taken there by ambulance on December 24 after losing consciousness following a physical intervention” at the Montreal Detention Establishment (EDM), also called Bordeaux prison, specifies the spokesperson of the MSP Marie-Josée Montminy.
“Based on the preliminary analysis of the events by the Deputy Ministry of Correctional Services of the MSP, an officer of the correctional services of the EDM has been temporarily relieved of his duties,” she adds. The agent’s identity has not been disclosed.
The MSP must conduct an administrative investigation into the events, in addition to the investigation by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) crimes against the person team that the police force announced on Tuesday.
“It is up to the police to determine whether charges should be laid following a criminal investigation and the coroner to determine the cause of death,” said Ms.me Montminy, from the MSP. SQ agent Nicolas Scholtus previously said an autopsy would be performed to determine the cause of death.
According to Mathieu Lavoie, president of the Syndicat des agents de la paix en services correctionnels du Québec (SAPSCQ-CSN), correctional officers used “cayenne pepper” and an anti-spitting mask to subdue Nicous D’Andre Spring after an altercation with other inmates. Mr. Lavoie specifies that the use of pepper spray was ordered by a manager, whom he did not identify.
The president of the union affirms that the officers “must have used cayenne pepper to control the person who was trying to bite and spit on the officers” and that “following the intervention with the cayenne pepper, the person would have had a faintness “.
Mr. Lavoie is unable to say whether the inmate was wearing the mask when he was pepper-sprayed. He is also unable to say whether wearing a mask could induce an additional risk when pepper spray is used.
“There is always a risk when using cayenne pepper […] whether or not a person is wearing a spit mask,” says Lavoie. According to him, the events of the weekend raise “questions about the different intermediate weapons, since the only intermediate weapon we have is cayenne pepper”, he said, adding that such a weapon can cause respiratory distress.
A toxicological guide from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) notes that the use of pepper spray can “increase the risk of respiratory arrest”. Dozens of death-in-custody cases involving pepper spray have been reported in the United States, but factors such as the position of the victim when arrested, intoxication or pre-existing illnesses “caused or contributed to the most cases of death,” says the INSPQ.
Nicous D’Andre Spring was being held pending trial on counts of assault, assault on a peace officer, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and failure to comply with a prescription.
Questioned by The Press, the office of the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, offers its “sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim”. “Minister Bonnardel is very concerned about the situation and has asked that all light be shed on the event,” said spokesperson Roxanne Bourque.
“The SQ is investigating. We will follow all the recommendations that will result from this investigation,” concludes Ms.me Bourque.
The Press made multiple attempts to reach Nicous D’Andre Spring’s lawyer on Tuesday and Wednesday, without success.
On social networks, relatives have published an invitation to a candlelight vigil in memory of Nicous D’Andre Spring Friday evening at Benny Park, in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district. A crowdfunding campaign was launched online to help her family pay for the funeral and “ease the financial stress [ils sont] currently facing”.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
Relatives have published an invitation to a candlelight vigil in memory of Nicous D’Andre Spring Friday evening at Benny Park in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district.
“He was a big guy, almost 6’5″, but extremely nice,” said Sadrac Christophe Anglehart-Reven, who describes himself as a longtime friend of the deceased. He adds that Spring was not one to cause conflict, despite his imposing physique, and that he was always very polite.
Patrick Mckoy says he met him in 2017 with other friends. He describes Nicous D’Andre Spring as a warm and funny guy. “He was like a little brother to me,” he said, adding that he was “heartbroken” by the news of his death.
“We need to hold our heads up high and get justice for him and his family,” Mckoy said.
With The Canadian Press