Sask. coroner confirms inquest for Boden Umpherville’s death

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A screen shot taken from a video posted to social media showing Umpherville’s altercation with police. (Image Credit: Facebook)

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Nearly two years after Umpherville’s death, the results of the investigation by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) were released. The report’s conclusion was that police did not commit any criminal offences and their use of force was appropriate.

“The cause of the affected person’s death was determined to be cardiac arrest brought on by positional asphyxia and cocaine intoxication, with the involvement of a CEW (Conducted Energy Weapon) identified as only a possible, but unlikely contributing factor,” read the 13-page report.

The report stated Umpherville was in a stolen car with two other people at the time of his arrest, had a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm gun on his body and a knife strapped to his chest.

The car, a black Dodge Avenger, had been bought that same day by the first witness – a woman who reported the car as stolen after she purchased it. When questioned by police, she claimed she had recovered the vehicle about three or four minutes before they were pulled over at about 3:30 am on April 1, 2023.

Since the vehicle had been identified as stolen, police pulled it over and in the ensuing confrontation, Umpherville first lied about who he was and then refused to be arrested. He had multiple outstanding warrants, was on release conditions from previous offences and had a lifetime weapons ban.

A second woman, who was in the back seat of the vehicle, was later determined to have been buying cocaine at the time.

At the time of the incident, a number of “Justice for Boden” protests were also held and Umperville’s adopted brother Chase Sinclair told paNOW the findings did not match up with what he and the family were told.

Describing the SIRT report as a movie script, Sinclair added there was no accountability for the officers who were at the scene or an explanation of the trauma inflicted upon Umpherville’s body.

On Wednesday, in response to news of the inquest, Sinclair posted a video message to his personal social media page and encouraged all his family’s supporters to attend the court house during the inquest.

“You guys need to see some of the things they’ve been hiding. It’ll bring light to this whole situation,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

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