Inquest underway in death of North Bay man after interaction with city police
An inquest is underway looking into the events surrounding the death of a North Bay man after an interaction with North Bay police officers.
Gordon Dale Couvrette was 43-years-old when he died in the hospital on Feb. 22, 2018, after police were called to a domestic dispute at a home on Harris Dr. An inquest into his death is mandatory under the Coroners Act.
The inquest is taking place at the Best Western Hotel on Lakeshore Dr. and is expected to last five days. The five person coroner’s jury will hear from 10 witnesses including: police, family, experts, a forensic pathologist and Couvrette’s former girlfriend.
His brother and mother testified on day one calling him a loving father to his son, a handy man with a talent for painting homes and loved fishing, swimming and canoeing. He went to school at Laurentian University after high school to study to become a school teacher. They admitted he did struggle with a drug addiction, but tried to help him find help.
North Bay’s Dr. Steven Bodley will be the presiding officer. Jose Rodriguez and Cecilia Martin will be the inquest counsel.
No charges were laid against North Bay police officers after he died after being tasered in his bedroom during the arrest. The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) determined there were no wrongdoing and no grounds to lay criminal charges in relation to the death.
Shortly after 5 a.m. that morning, officers were called to a home by a neighbour about a domestic dispute. Police say some hours before the incident, Couvrette had ingested a quantity of a number of drugs, including cocaine, hydromorphone and morphine and then became “extremely agitated and paranoid”.
The SIU’s investigation found he grabbed a golf club that was in the room and started swinging it at an imaginary person, who he believed was there to harm him and his girlfriend. She tried to calm him down but to no avail. He grabbed her by the hair and placed her in a headlock. By the time of the officers’ arrival, they were both on the floor.
His then girlfriend testified Monday afternoon during the proceedings that he became confused and thought she was an attacker.
According to the SIU report and testimony, soon after entering the home, two male officers struggled with Couvrette and tried to subdue him. After several minutes of attempting to grapple him into submission, one officer deployed his taser but this had “no discernible effect”.
The officers had great difficulty because of what was described as Couvrette’s “superhuman strength” and the perspiration covering his body.
"In time, the officers were finally able to gain control of the man who was believed to be suffering from drug-induced psychosis," adds the report. "While waiting for an ambulance, the man’s breathing began to fail and as such, officers began to administer CPR. The paramedics took charge of the man’s treatment and eventually transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead."
The subsequent post-mortem examination report described the cause of Couvrette's death in the following terms: “Sudden death with no anatomical cause associated with acute-on-chronic cocaine and amphetamine abuse/intoxication, forcible struggle and possible excited delirium syndrome.”
The goal of the inquest is to allow the jury to choose to make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths in similar circumstances.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.