Amelia Bloomfield, the mother of Saul Laliberte, sits next to FSIN Vice Chief Dutch Lerat, PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte and Cumberland House Cree Nation Chief Rene Chaboyer. (Screenshot/FSIN press conference)

By Susan McNeil

Saul Laliberte death

FSIN wants police to stop lodging people intoxicated by drugs or alcohol

Jul 19, 2023 | 1:08 PM

Rather than taking impaired people to police cells for lodging until they’re sober, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) would like to see people taken to a health facility instead.

The FSIN was speaking at a news conference called in the days after a Prince Albert police officer was charged with criminal negligence in the death of a prisoner and the province released 45 recommendations for the service to improve its operations from other incidents.

“We call upon all police agencies both federally and provincially to immediately stop the practice of lodging any persons for intoxication from drugs and alcohol,” said FSIN First Vice Chief, David Pratt.

The FSIN would like to see people now ‘lodged’ (held overnight in police custody) instead taken to a place where they would be overseen by a health practitioner.

Doing that might have saved the life of 33-year-old Saul Laliberte, who was taken into Prince Albert police custody in 2021 but died while being lodged.

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“It’s another unnecessary death at the hands of police. Those who are trusted to our safety and protection have once again failed in their duties to look after our people,” said Pratt.

Laliberte died on November 7, 2021, in the PAPS detention centre after being arrested. His mother, Amelia Bloomfield, called police after he was arrested, saying she was worried about his health after finding an empty pill bottle.

Saul Laliberte died while in the custody of the Prince Albert Police in November, 2021. (screenshot/Heritage Funeral Home)

A long-time member of the Prince Albert police has now been charged in connection and suspended with pay.

Bloomfield is a member of the Cumberland House Cree Nation and was accompanied at the news conference by Chief Rene Chaboyer and a council member and another family member.

For the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), the Laliberte matter is one of many incidents and they say trust in the police service has been shattered.

Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte is asking for a seat on the city’s police commission and for all the recommendations of the province’s report, completed by former Edmonton Police Chief Rob Knecht, to be implemented immediately.

Hardlotte pointed out that there is no recommendation on having an Elder work with the commission, but he knows there are Elders working directly with the police service itself.

“I also did not see anything on cultural language, cultural training for the police officers,” Hardlotte said. “Even something as simple as Tansi (hello in Cree) for a police officer is very important when dealing with our people.”

Both organizations said that trust in the Prince Albert Police has been broken but they held out hope of repair with some changes made by the Interim Chief Patrick Nogier over the last several months since the departure of Johnathan Bergen.

They also would like to see the entire report, not just the recommendations released yesterday morning.

“PAGC firmly believes that their inclusion will contribute valuable perspective, insight and expertise to the decision-making process,” said Hardlotte.

“Let us seize this moment as a catalyst for positive change. Let us work tirelessly to address the recommendations addressed in the report.”

A major issue is communication between groups, with advocates saying it is lacking. Getting information such as Laliberte’s autopsy results, the full provincial report into PAPS along with the results of several other investigations such as the death of infant Tanner Brass and the officer-involved deaths of Johnathan Gardiner in January and Boden Umpherville this summer, is needed.

“This is a lack of communication in all parts right from the in-custody death, right from the hospital,” said Hardlotte, banging the table in frustration. “That’s what this is all about. Communication – and doing the right thing -and stopping this, right now.”

It will help the family grieve, said FSIN vice president Dutch Lerat and it is important for families and groups to be included.

“They’ll understand more and what’s going to be done as a result of that. And what is the action plan they have beyond the recommendations? How are you going to do what you’re recommending,” he said.

By law, all in-custody deaths in Saskatchewan must be subjected to a coroner’s inquest, which is held in public.

paNOW has reached out to the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service to ask for the date of Laliberte’s inquest but did not receive a reply prior to publication.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow