(Edmonton Journal) – The head of RCMP in the Yukon has publicly apologized for the “insensitive and callous treatment” of a sick man who died in Whitehorse RCMP custody.
Five officers are now under investigation for their treatment of Raymond Silverfox, 43. The aboriginal man died in late 2008 after reportedly vomiting 26 times during 13 hours in a Whitehorse drunk tank.
A coroner’s inquest in April heard that detachment staff laughed at Silverfox as he languished in his own vomit and feces, according to the CBC.
The CBC reported that Silverfox, a member of the small First Nations community of Carmacks, was hauled into the Whitehorse detachment around 5 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2008, and it wasn’t until officers noticed that Silverfox had stopped moving, at about 6:30 p.m., that he received medical attention.
“I am shocked and disappointed, as are many members of the RCMP, that Mr. Silverfox had to endure the insensitive and callous treatment he endured while he was in our care,” Yukon RCMP Supt. Peter Clark said in a taped statement.
“We have failed you and we have failed ourselves.”
A complaint was initiated by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP. Major Crimes investigators from B.C. were called in to assist the Yukon coroner in advance of April’s inquest. Clark said the RCMP cooperated fully with the investigation.
Now that the inquest has concluded, Clark said investigators will review the transcripts to determine if the actions of the officers were criminal.
“He deserved much better from us and there is no question that we fell short,” Clark said: “We did not live up to your expectations or the standards we have set for ourselves, and for that, we apologize.”
Clark said that since Silverfox’s death, supervision of cells in Whitehorse has improved and more prisoners are being examined by paramedics or taken to hospital to be checked out. Changes have also been made to policy, Clark said, “in order to ensure all prisoners held in custody are treated with respect, compassion and provided a healthy and clean facility.”
They think some believe they are in a different class, I guess, but in reality are we not all the same?
I would say that, just because the image is there and some of them seem to have worked it all out, while others think they have it all together that somewhere in this is a deceptive confidence in there which says that humans mess up and the RCMP can’t mess up.
I’m wondering just how secure that net has become today and why we should tolerate bad behavior when it surfaces anywhere’s and hide or cover up who’s really acting out of character when some of those officers make bad decisions mess up and then crying for mercy when someone else is left dead?
I think we should allow them the privilege of doing their jobs without hindrance but when they cross over and it become a problem then we should act accordingly. Also I do think in prevention, if someone is in trouble on the job and is acting strange to say the least we should not allow this to continue and this officer should be reported before someone dies and this is also the responsibility of any good and sane officer.
Let us also assume they are innocent until proven guilty while the systems that hires and directs them sort it all out.
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It’s pretty sad when a man dies for being sick. In a sense he was tortured but for what reason. The saddest part of this whole thing is that the RCMP will rectify the whole entire issue with an “I’m Sorry”. Nothing will ever change.
If this happened to an RCMP officer, then why is the entire country made to mourn.
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Can’t believe this is happening today.
What kind of training are these officers/guards getting anyways.
Maybe it’s time to rethink this whole police/guard issue and anybody joining the justice system should be given the privilege of spending 3 weeks, at least in a cold jail cell as part of their basic training with daily added demeaning comments, mocking and anything else that happens in there the public is not even aware of, hosing and as an added bonus, the odd beating and a tazering experience.
Then they will know what it means to be in such a situation and when someone cries out for his very life they will respond.
Is this a good way to clean this problem out?
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