The death of a 21-year-old illegally detained in Bordeaux prison on Christmas Eve has sparked calls for a public inquiry.
Two veteran Montreal defense attorneys, Charles B. Côté and Eric Sutton, say the circumstances surrounding the death in custody of Nicous D’Andre Spring warrant a full investigation, in addition to the official investigations that are underway.
The Quebec Ministry of Public Security has already called Mr. Spring’s detention “illegal” because the young man had obtained his release from a judge on December 23. But the next day, he was still at the Montreal Detention Facility, also called “Bordeaux Prison”, when he suffered injuries leading to his death.
Mathieu Lavoie, president of the Syndicat des agents de la paix en services correctionnels du Québec, said that on December 24, guards in Bordeaux sprayed the inmate twice with pepper spray and placed an anti-spitting mask on his face. head.
Mr. Lavoie also maintains that such illegal detentions are rare, but occur because of the increased use of remote appearances.
A correctional services officer in Bordeaux was temporarily relieved of his duties “under the preliminary analysis of the events by the deputy minister of correctional services” of the Ministry of Public Security.
The ministry also confirmed last Saturday in an email to The Canadian Press that a manager of the Bordeaux prison had been relieved of his duties on December 29.
The Sûreté du Québec and the coroner’s office are investigating the death in unlawful custody of Mr. Spring. The Ministry of Public Security has opened an administrative investigation.
“It is up to the police to determine whether charges should be filed following a criminal investigation,” the ministry said in its email on Saturday.
Last Friday evening, about 150 people came to attend a candlelight vigil in Benny Park, in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district, in Montreal, in memory of the young man.