Funeral held for man who died after being stun-gunned, injured by Prince Albert police
CBC
A ceremony was held Monday evening in memory of Boden Umpherville, a man from Prince Albert, Sask., who died after an altercation with police a month ago.
Umpherville, 40, had been in hospital for weeks before being taken off life-support on April 26.
A wake was held last weekend at the Muskoday band hall, south of Prince Albert. Loved ones then travelled to Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation on Monday to attend the funeral and burial, where singers and drummers performed and people shared stories.
"This chapter is closing, so it's going to be a tough day," said older brother Darry Umpherville ahead of Monday's ceremony.
In the early morning of April 1, members of the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) pulled over a black Dodge Avenger on 13th Street West, because it had been reported stolen, police say.
Three people were in the vehicle at the time, including the registered owner, who previously told CBC News they had been behind the wheel and did not report the vehicle stolen.
Witness video obtained by CBC News showed at least six police officers surrounding the vehicle, ordering Umpherville to get out. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) previously said a canine unit was also on scene.
The video showed officers stun-gunning Umpherville multiple times, one officer using pepper spray, one officer beating the vehicle's windshield with a baton and at least one officer appearing to hit Umpherville before hauling him out of the vehicle to arrest him.
Umpherville went into medical distress shortly afterward and was sent to hospital in serious condition, police say.
He spent nearly four weeks on life-support. He was taken off after being declared brain dead.
Doctors informed Umpherville's family that his condition was worsened because his heart had stopped for 20 minutes before being revived, the family had previously said.
PAPS has previously declined to comment on the incident due to an ongoing investigation by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), the province's new police oversight agency that investigates incidents where someone is injured or dies due to police actions or while they're in custody.
SIRT investigators found a loaded handgun at the scene, according to a news release issued April 4. The provincial justice ministry previously told CBC News that the gun did not belong to PAPS officers.
Officers involved were put on administrative leave, but have since returned to duty.
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