Quebec coroner says Inukjuak man died of natural causes

The Quebec coroner’s office has released its report on the 2018 death of Billy Nutarak, 43, of Inukjuak, determining it was a “natural death.”

The bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, which investigates deaths and injuries that take place in connection with police operations, said last October that Quebec’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions had decided not to recommend any charges against the police in connection with Nutarak’s death.

The coroner’s report, which spells the deceased’s family name as “Nutarak,” looks more closely at what could have caused the Inukjuak man’s death.

The report on this death was first issued last month by the coroner under the name Philipousie Novalinga, which had been Nutarak’s name at birth, prior to his adoption. He then changed his name and used to spell his name “Nutaraq,” with a q instead of a k.

The coroner’s report says Nutarak fainted during an argument with his wife on March 15, 2018, during which the Kativik Regional Police Force were called in.

At 12:30 a.m., after taking Nutarak’s wife to the health centre, the KRPF officers went back to Nutarak’s home and found him lying on the floor. They tried to wake him up, without any success. He “appeared to be intoxicated” to the police, the report said.

The officers placed Nutarak on a mattress and decided to let him rest so he could sober up. They planned to return later, as they didn’t note any apparent health issue.

The following afternoon, at 1:15 p.m. on March 16, the police went back to arrest Nutarak, and found him lifeless.

Resuscitation didn’t start until 2:10 p.m., because the only other police officer in the Nunavik community of about 1,800 had to deal with another suspect and the first responders were busy with a medevac, the report said.

Nutarak’s death was declared at 2:42 p.m. in the Inukjuak health centre.

An autopsy revealed no marks of trauma that could have contributed to his death, although the pathologist noted a severe hardening of the arteries and blockage, as well as signs of previous heart damage.

The autopsy concluded the cause of death was due to these cardiac issues.

Nutarak’s blood alcohol level was 140 mg/dl, which is above the legal driving alcohol limit of 80 mg/dl, and his blood also showed the presence of cannabis but no other substances.

The coroner’s report said Nutarak had no criminal record and no record of previous medical issues.

The police who had intervened in the earlier domestic violence incident were the last to see Nutarak alive, at about 12:30 a.m on March 16, 2018, the coroner Steeve Poisson concluded. “It wasn’t until they went to arrest him that they found him in cardiac arrest.”

2018-01648-01_amendé by NunatsiaqNews on Scribd