Ontario coroner announces inquest date for Grassy Narrows man who died after Kenora arrest

Ontario’s coroner announced Thursday that an inquest into the death of Troy Payash, 35, will take place Aug. 10. Payash, from Grassy Narrows, died June 15, 2019. Five days prior, Payash had an interaction with the Ontario Provincial Police. He was transported to Winnipeg, where he died. An inquest into his death is mandatory under the Coroners Act. According to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ontario’s police watchdog, police responded to a 911 call of a break in at a business in Kenora where they found Payash inside. The SIU said Payash ignored calls for him to get on the floor. A struggle ensued as officers tried to place him in custody. “At one point, he [Payash] attempted to lift himself from the ground and was met with a right-handed palm strike to the back,” the SIU reported. When officers lifted Payash off the floor, he took a few steps before going limp. The SIU investigates any incidents where members of the public are injured after interacting with police. According to its report, officers said they placed him in the recovery position inside a cell at the detachment and called for paramedics about 40 minutes later. Payash was eventually transported to Winnipeg, where “emergency brain surgery” was performed the next day. He never regained consciousness. The SIU reported that there are no reasonable grounds to believe the arresting officer committed a criminal offence and that the arrest was lawful. The SIU said that “Given the odour of alcohol coming from the Complainant, the officers were under the impression until that point that the Complainant was simply highly intoxicated,” the SIU said in the report. “When, back at the detachment, the Complainant did not rouse in response to a sternum rub, the SO [arresting officer] suspected there was more going on than intoxication.” According to the SIU, medical attention, arguably, should’ve been called for sooner following the arrest. “Ideally, it appears this ought to have occurred at the arrest scene in light of the medical evidence obtained by the SIU to the effect that the Complainant’s snoring in the cruiser was “indicative of a significant change in his neurologic status requiring medical investigation. “In any event, whether and to what extent the delay in securing medical attention for the Complainant contributed to his brain injury and eventual death, I am not satisfied that any delay attributable to the SO deviated markedly from a reasonable level of care.” The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the man’s death and may make recommendations. The inquest will not make any criminal findings. According to the coroner, the inquest is expected to last ten days and hear from approximately 13 witnesses. The inquest will only be held virtually. The family has standing at the inquest. Grassy Narrows is an Ojibway community about 300 km east of Winnipeg in Ontario. Continue Reading