Quebec’s police watchdog completes report on Nunavik man’s death

Quebec’s police watchdog has completed its investigation into the death of a Salluit man during an operation of the Kativik Regional Police Force in July 2019.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, or “BEI,” the body that investigates police-involved deaths in Quebec, handed its report to Quebec’s prosecutors office and to the Office of the Coroner on March 2.

On the basis of this report, prosecutors will determine whether charges should be laid against the police officers involved in the death of 48-year-old Sandy Alaku, the BEI said in a news release on Monday, March 9.

The BEI said its investigation found:

• On July 5, 2019, at about 10:30 p.m., several calls were made to the KRPF concerning a fight involving several people in a Salluit residence. Two police arrived on the scene and saw someone in front of the house. That individual was dragging a man who seemed unconscious and was bleeding profusely in the head.

• The police quickly left their vehicle to stop and control the attacker.

• As they tried to handcuff the attacker, the police vehicle started to move slowly, “by itself,” and rolled on to the back of Alaku who was still lying on the ground, on his stomach, the BEI said.

• The police went to help Alaku and took him to the health centre.

• After several resuscitation attempts, Alaku’s death was declared at 11:45 p.m.

Salluit, on Nunavik’s Hudson Strait, has a population of about 1,600 people.

The BEI said its entire report on Alaku’s death would not be made public because it contained sensitive and confidential information, including statements from those involved and witnesses.