The NWT Coroner Service says it has confirmed the identity of the man from Nunavut who died in RCMP custody in Yellowknife last week.
The NWT RCMP announced last week that the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Serious Crimes Unit was investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 35-year-old man who had died in police custody
In a Monday news release, the Office of the Chief Coroner of the NWT said the man was George Angottitauruq of Gjoa Haven and an autopsy would be conducted in Edmonton.
The coroner’s office said RCMP had notified next of kin. It extended condolences to Angottitauruq’s friends and families as well as to the community of Gjoa Haven.
According to the NWT RCMP, police responded to “a report of threats” at the Explorer Hotel around 6:50am last Thursday.
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Police stated that responding officers determined a man had assaulted a woman, the suspect was “displaying signs of impairment” and officers arrested him “without incident.”
After transporting the man to the Yellowknife RCMP detachment, police said emergency medical services cleared the man for incarceration.
At approximately 9:50am, RCMP said the man was found unresponsive in his cell. Police said cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, was immediately initiated and the man was transported to Stanton Territorial Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The RCMP Act mandates that an independent civilian oversight body or external police force investigate serious injuries or deaths involving RCMP officers.
As the NWT does not have its own civilian police oversight agency, nor an agreement with such an agency elsewhere such as the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, outside police forces like the Saskatchewan RCMP investigate in-custody deaths in the territory.
The Saskatchewan RCMP is conducting its investigation in collaboration with the NWT Coroner Service. The investigation will include a review of police actions leading up to and during Angottitauruq’s arrest and detention.
