Inquest into Tuktoyaktuk in-custody death will hear from family, witnesses

An inquest into the death of a woman in police cells in Tuktoyaktukin 2021 will hear from her family and those who were there the day she died, according to the N.W.T.'s chief coroner.

Sylvia Panaktalok died just hours after she was taken into custody for public intoxication.In 2023, a Calgary police investigation concluded her death was "non-criminal."

Starting next Tuesday, N.W.T. chief coroner Garth Eggenberger will conduct an inquest into Panaktalok's death. Eggenberger said the purpose of theinquest is to get the "facts of the circumstances out to the public."

"It's unfortunate it took so long for the investigation to happen," he said.

Coroner's inquests are fact-finding proceedingsand do not find fault. A jury will determinewhen and how Panaktalok died. They mayalso issue recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future. Those recommendations are not legally binding.

Eggenberger said he hopes the inquest will shine light on how Panaktalok ended up in police custody and what happened duringher time there.

"We're not making any finding of fault, we're only bringing the facts forward," he said.

Eggenberger said the inquestis taking placein Inuvik despite the death happening in Tuktoyaktuk in order to get enough jurors that would "notinterfere with family affairs," given the closeness of the small community.

"It's unfortunate we haveto do that," he said.

Eggenberger said several people will testify, including the people who called the police to have Panaktaloktakenaway from her home, the police officers themselves, and anyone who was involved inher care before Calgary police took over the investigation. He said the inquest also expects to hearfrom an expert who will discuss alcohol use.Panaktalok's family isalso expected to testify.

Typicallyabout ayear after an inquest, Eggenberger said his office will checkwith the various parties tosee if they've followed up onrecommendations made by the jury.

Similar deaths occurring at'absolutely unacceptable rate'

This will be the fifth inquest intoan in-custody death in the past 10 years in the N.W.T.

While it's not yet clear how Panaktalok died,Shakir Rahim, director of theCanadian Civil Liberties Association's criminal justice program,said people dying orinjured after an arrest for public intoxication is "subject to serious criticism" across the country.

"Someone who's intoxicated, if they're not being checked up on regularly thebottom line is that a jail celldoes not provide the necessary support and care that that person needs," Rahim said.

Rahimsaid inquests across Canada into these kinds of deaths have recommended creating sobering centres for peoplewho are intoxicated, rather than putting them in police custody.

He said the issue deserves more than just an inquest each time it happens.

"We are grapplinghere with a pattern of conduct and a pattern of deaths that needs more than just the case-by-case analysis."

A CBC News investigation in 2021 found that 60 people in Canada had died since 2010 after being placed in police custody for public intoxication.

"The evidence is already in that this is occurring at an absolutelyunacceptable rate," Rahim said."We're seeing negligence or misconduct contributing to these deaths as well."

The inquestis scheduled to take placein Inuvikat the Mackenzie Hotel, beginning onTuesday.