INQUEST RULES DEATH ACCIDENTAL

PORT HARDY - The death of Albert William Prevost was accidental,
ruled the five-person jury at a coroner's inquest May 21.

Prevost died Mar. 23, 2008 at Campbell River hospital, after
succumbing to pneumonia due to ischemic stroke due to cocaine use,
said testimony from doctors who treated Mr. Prevost.

Events leading to his death began in Port Hardy Mar. 14, when Mr.
Prevost was picked by RCMP and, believing he was intoxicated, was put
in a cell overnight.

When the affects of intoxication had not improved by morning, RCMP
called the B.C. Ambulance Service and Mr.Prevost was transported to
Port Hardy hospital. Tests indicated cocaine use and after further
observation, Mr. Prevost was transferred to Campbell River Hospital
where a CT scan revealed he had suffered a stroke, triggered by cocaine use.

Mr. Prevost died a few days later after contracting pneumonia in hospital.

"Albert should not have been in cells, he was a sick man," said
family member Georgina Isaac in an statement to the inquiry. She said
the family isn't laying blame, but they want to see improvements in
resources so others don't suffer.

The jury agreed with her.

"The jury would like to preface our recommendations," said foreperson
Cathie Poje. "The jury believes all the organizations involved with
Albert Prevost did their duty to the best of the ability at the time."

But Poje noted, those organizations, including RCMP, ambulance and
medical staff at the hospital, have a large workload and "limited
resources and funding available."

That said, Poje went on to lay out three recommendations from the
jury aimed at preventing such an incident in the future.

The first recommendation is to encourage training of more RCMP
members through the drug recognition course.

The second is to have a CT scanner installed in Port Hardy hospital.

And the third recommendation of the jury is that shelter beds be made
available 365 days a year in Port Hardy.

Similar recommendations for better resources, and particularly for
safe housing, were made during an inquest in December into the death
of Duane Nelson, who also died after being in cells in Port Hardy in Sept. 2007.