Fifth man charged with murder in Sask. prison riot death

A fifth man has been charged with second degree murder in the death of a Saskatchewan Penitentiary inmate killed during a riot in late 2016.

Police previously announced this month that four men had been accused of killing 43-year-old Jason Leonard Bird, who was found unresponsive in aftermath of a Dec. 14, 2016 riot in the prison’s medium security unit. Bird was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

On Friday morning they announced 27-year-old Sundance Okemaysim was charged with second-degree murder in Bird’s death, as well as attempted murder for an alleged assault against another inmate during the riot.

Okemaysim will appear in a Prince Albert courtroom at a date that remains to be determined.

In addition to Bird’s death, the riot saw eight inmates injured. Two were allegedly injured during the riot, which involved more than 180 inmates, and six more were hurt by shotgun fire when prison staff stormed the rioters’ improvised barricades.

—With files from paNOW