British ColumbiaTŝilhqot’in First Nation member Surrance Myers died after collapsing in an RCMP holding cell in Williams Lake, B.C. and not being checked on for about two hours, an Independent Investigations Office report says. The report also highlights a series of “concerning” in-custody deaths.Surrance Myers’s death part of a ‘concerning trend,’ investigator saysSurrance Myers, 21, a member of the Tŝilhqot’in First Nation, died Saturday, Sept. 20, 2022, after the police stopped his moped, arrested him and put him in cells at the local RCMP detachment. (Surrance Myers/Facebook)Three years after a 21-year-old Indigenous man died in an RCMP holding cell in Williams Lake, B.C., an Independent Investigations Office (IIO) report has concluded a duty of care for the man was not met, after he suffered a medical incident in custody and fell to a concrete floor.Surrance Myers, a member of the Tŝilhqot’in First Nation who is not named in the report, lay on the cell floor for approximately two hours before a officer who was set to release him realized there was a problem and called for help.The IIO’s lead director called the case part of a “concerning trend and concerning problem,” connected to multiple in-custody deaths over the past few years.The police watchdog report, written by IIO chief civilian director Jessica Berglund, said there are no “reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed offence,” in the death of Myers, however the report also found the detachment was understaffed and the civilian guard on duty failed to physically check on Myers, as required.The report also said that from 2019 to 2023, it was notified of 15 incidents in which detainees either died in police cells or were taken from cells to hospital where they died.Of the 15, seven people were Indigenous — statistics which Berglund said pointed to a clear need for proper care and supervision of prisoners.”I believe there has to be much better instruction, training and supervision of the jail guards,” Berglund said in an interview with CBC News. “It is a real issue.”Myers’s nation wants accountability, as well.“We are calling on the RCMP and all levels of government to work with us to make the changes that are needed to ensure a tragic loss like this one does not occur again,” said Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Otis Guichon of Tŝilhqot’in National Government in a release.Jenny Philprick, executive director of Tŝilhqot’in National Government described Myers as a recent high school graduate who had his life ahead of him.”He was an amazing, hard-working young man,” said Philprick. “The fact that he got thrown into custody overnight is baffling to us.”Not believed to be injured: witnessDuring the late evening of Sept. 20, 2022, Williams Lake RCMP officers arrested Myers after they observed him driving an unlicensed moped, said the IIO report, which refers to him as the “affected person,” rather than by name.He was known to be prohibited from operating a motor vehicle and had a history of fleeing from police, said the report. It also said he was subject to two separate orders prohibiting him from operating a motor vehicle.A woman was riding on the moped with Myers at the time and told IIO for its investigation that when police tried to corner the moped in a gas station parking lot, Myers drove away.The chase ended minutes later with an officer pulling Myers off the moped, causing it to crash.The report said the witness observed Myers being handcuffed face-down on the ground, but did not resist arrest.“She did not believe [Myers] was injured and said that he had earlier consumed some alcohol but did not appear intoxicated,” said the report.The witness was taken home by police, while Myers was taken to RCMP cells, where he was later found unresponsive on the floor and pronounced dead by first responders.IIO determined that the Williams Lake RCMP detachment was short-staffed that night due to illness and other factors. Around four officers on shift were tasked with responding to other calls and prisoners, of which there were five others.Routine check lapseThat resulted in a solitary civilian guard to perform prisoner checks, which RCMP national policy requires be physically done at irregular intervals no more than 15 minutes apart.Around 2:57 a.m., according to the report, CCTV footage showed Myers fall off a bench in his cell to the floor and appear to strike his forehead without using his hands to break his fall.This was noticed by the civilian guard on duty who walked to the cell and looked at Myers through the observation window. The CCTV footage showed Myers making movements on the floor, while the guard was looking in on him.Myers appeared still after that and, despite further physical checks — some of which were outside the 15-minute window — was discovered in medical distress just before 5 a.m., when an officer entered the cell to release him on conditions.No injuries or toxicology related to death: postmortemA postmortem found that he had cutaneous injuries, referring to his skin, to his face only. No other injuries were found or toxicology identified.The postmortem could only speculate that Myers suffered a medical event including “an arrhythmia, a seizure or sudden dyspnea.”It said a medical event during the hours preceding his death could have been possible, but that autopsy and ancillary test results were limited.The report said that with the decision to place Myers in custody came with a duty of care for his well-being.“In this case, [the civilian jail guard on duty that night] did not meet the standard of care expected of her,” said the report. “Additionally, the supervision of [guard on duty] on the night the incident was inadequate, and it is reasonable to conclude that this was due, at least in part, to the detachment being understaffed.”’Address this tragic loss,’ says nationOn Thursday, in response to the report being made public the Tŝilhqot’in Nation said it still wants answers and accountability over the death.“It is clear from the IIO Report that the RCMP and detachment staff failed Surrance,” it said in a release.“Despite these clear failures, there has been no effort by the RCMP, the provincial or federal government, or the City of Williams Lake to address this tragic loss with the family or the Tŝilhqot’in Nation or explain how steps will be taken to ensure that it does not happen again.”The nation says it will turn to B.C. Supreme Court and legal action to try and bring about the change it seeks.Nits’ilʔin Lennon Solomon with the Yuneŝit’in Government said Myers was “always polite and positive, respectful, working a couple jobs, one of those kids that gives you hope.”“I want to see the RCMP take responsibility and own up to this tragedy. Otherwise, nothing has changed, it is just more of the same for us.”ABOUT THE AUTHORChad Pawson is a CBC News reporter in Vancouver. Please contact him at chad.pawson@cbc.ca.With files from Hanna Petersen and Radio West
21-year-old died in cell after guard failed to check on him after medical emergency, IIO report says
