Inquest jurors determine Kimmirut man took his own life

Updated on Monday, April 7. 2025 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The jurors at the coroner’s inquest investigating the 2019 death of Kimmirut man George Arlooktoo concluded he died by suicide and made multiple more than 30 recommendations aimed at preventing a similar death.

They also recommended that the Government of Nunavut declare a “suicide crisis.”

“We all hope that another death will be prevented as a result of the recommendations made here,” Nunavut’s chief coroner Dr. Michael Foote said Friday afternoon at the end of the five-day hearing.

During the inquest, six jurors heard testimony from 14 witnesses, including Arlooktoo’s aunt Levee Arlooktoo, who found her distraught 28-year-old nephew with two guns and threatening to hurt himself the morning after he stabbed his partner.

She testified that Arlooktoo said he was “terrified” of having to go back to jail, and that something bad happened to him when he was in jail previously.

Two RCMP officers — Sgt. Dustin Grant and Cpl. Bayden Austring — who responded to Arlooktoo’s home to try to get him mental health support testified. When they saw him trying to hurt himself, they tried to use a stun gun — a weapon that emits a jolt of electricity to immobilize someone — but it was unsuccessful because of the thickness of the coat he was wearing.

And so did pathologist Dr. Alfredo Walker, who said Arlooktoo couldn’t have survived the self-inflicted stab wounds he suffered after police entered his home.

Nunavut’s assistant deputy minister of health Victoria Madsen described changes in a new Mental Health Act aimed at giving authorities the ability to intervene in mental health crises sooner.

Ottawa Police Service Det-Sgt. Kevin Jacobs, who did a third-party investigation of the RCMP conduct, said the officers’ attempts to stop Arlooktoo were “commendable” and “impressive.”

The purpose of a coroner’s inquest is not to determine blame like a criminal trial does. The goal of an inquest is to have the jury determine the cause of death and to make recommendations. The Nunavut coroner’s office provided Nunatsiaq News with a Zoom link to follow the proceedings remotely.

One juror said suicide in Kimmirut had become a “crisis” with four other people having died that way since Arlooktoo’s death six years ago.

On Feb. 9, 2019, Arlooktoo was at home, distraught and threatening to kill himself after having stabbed his partner the night before. He refused to let police officers or anyone else into his home. After officers forced his front door open, Arlooktoo stabbed himself in the neck 11 times, the inquest heard. 

Officers transported him to a health clinic less than two minutes away. The moment Arlooktoo arrived and for the 30 minutes until he was declared dead, nurses never obtained a pulse.

Along with determining how Arlooktoo died, jurors were also asked to make recommendations in the interest of preventing deaths of a similar nature in the future.

Officers were understaffed and overworked leading up to Arlooktoo’s death. Jurors recommended the RCMP maintain three officers at the Kimmirut detachment at all times. It also made recommendations around mental health.

Jurors made 32 recommendations on subjects including policing and mental health. 

Policing

• Three officers should be stationed in the community at all times.
• The local RCMP detachment should hire a bilingual staff member to assist dispatchers and the police.
• New RCMP officers should receive local, cultural and community-specific training and orientation.

Mental Health

• A permanent mental health practitioner should be recruited to work at the health centre on a long-term basis.
• Local Inuit should be hired and trained as counsellors.
• Men’s and youth groups and clubs should be created and maintained.

The resources are available to people in distress and who need to talk with someone:

Kamatsiaqtut Help Line is Nunavut-specific and offers services in Inuktitut. Phone: 979-3333 for Iqaluit residents and 1-800-265-3333 for other Nunavummiut.

The Suicide Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 in English and French by phone or text at 9-8-8.

The First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 or chat online at hopeforwellness.ca.

Correction: This article has been updated from its originally published version to report the correct number of jury recommendations was 32 and to report that the coroner’s office provided Nunatsiaq News a Zoom link to follow the inquest remotely.