Public inquest begins into Prince Albert man's death after police use of force

A public inquest has begun in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, into the death of Boden Umpherville, 40, who died after police used force during a traffic stop on April 1, 2023. Officers stopped the vehicle because it was reported stolen and discovered Umpherville, a passenger, had warrants for drug charges and breach of release.

During the stop, officers deployed tasers, batons, and pepper spray to remove Umpherville from the vehicle. He was taken to hospital and later succumbed to his injuries after weeks on life support. The incident escalated to the point where an officer issued an emergency alert, drawing all available officers to the scene.

“

the amount of force was reflective of the amount of effort to flee.

Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) investigator Kevin Montgomery described the scene as "complete chaos." He stated that the "amount of force was reflective of the amount of effort to flee." While SIRT's initial investigation did not find criminal wrongdoing by the police, the Prince Albert Police Service is prepared to implement any recommendations from the inquest.

“

The death of Boden has impacted all corners of our community, including our organization. It’s been a difficult process, to even lead us here today to the start of this inquest.

Deputy Chief Farica Prince acknowledged the profound impact of Umpherville's death on the community and the police organization. "It’s been a difficult process, to even lead us here today to the start of this inquest," Prince said. "We’re always open to exploring how policing as a profession can do better in terms of practices or policies. And if we’re able to identify some ways that we can do that this week, then we’re open to that."

The inquest is scheduled to continue throughout the week, with a forensic pathologist and other police officers expected to testify.

“

We’re always open to exploring how policing as a profession can do better in terms of practices or policies. And if we’re able to identify some ways that we can do that this week, then we’re open to that.