Boden Umpherville wanted to change, says family at inquest

The subject of a coroner’s inquest in Prince Albert has been described as a gangster, a drug dealer and a man possessed with super human strength when he resisted half a dozen members of the Prince Albert Police Service.

To Boden Umpherville’s family, he was much more.

Umpherville’s cousin, Smokey Campbell, has been listening to witness testimony from the front row in the Court of King’s Bench courtroom. He remembers a man who had a big heart and who gave whatever he could for his family.

Read more:

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• Man injured during arrest in Prince Albert has died: FSIN

“I’ve seen the gentle side of him, you know they don’t speak about that. They don’t speak that he has kids,” Campbell said.

A full five days have been set aside to hear about the events that began on the morning of April 1, 2023. Umpherville, who suffered cardiac arrest after a 20 minute struggle with officers, passed away three weeks later at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

At the conclusion of this week’s inquest, the six-person jury will be asked to come up with a list of recommendations to help prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future. Campbell said he wants to get to the bottom of why this happened the way it did.

“When his kids are old enough to understand that there’s some sort of justice, some sort of closure for them so they can look back on it and the demand for us would be for certain procedures to be changed.

A screenshot from a bystander’s video in the Boden Umpherville arrest. (Submitted)

Among the details heard in court that troubled Campbell are that, while his cousin was on the ground getting handcuffed, no vitals were taken until almost 10 minutes later, when he was in the ambulance.

Campbell said Umpherville’s youngest child, now three years old, was born while his father was in hospital in a coma.

“He never got to be his dad.”

Further police testimony on third day of inquest

Testimony at the inquest on Wednesday came from three of the nine officers who were at the scene. They all expressed feelings of exhaustion after a 20-minute struggle with Umpherville, that some said felt more like an hour.

“This was one of the most chaotic things I’ve ever been a part of in my career,” Sgt. Ryan Banadyga said.

After the initial traffic stop, and identifying Umpherville as a passenger in the vehicle, multiple officers testified to seeing Umpherville reaching for something in his waist band and hearing him say, “You’re gonna have to [expletive] kill me.”

During the ensuing struggle, Umpherville was tased multiple times. He was also punched by officers and kneed in the back – all in an attempt to gain control, but received no response.

Umpherville was eventually moved from the vehicle and handcuffed on the ground. Shortly thereafter officers found a loaded handgun in the waistband area.

One of the points of contention was the positioning of the officers and whether they heard him call for help. Banadyga, who was positioned by one of Umpherville’s arms confirmed he did hear Umpherville claim he couldn’t breathe. Banadyga said he checked to make sure no one was on Umpherville’s back.

“I remember saying to Boden, ‘There’s nobody on you, you need to stop,’” Banadyga recalled.

Recalling how long and how hard Umpherville struggled, Banadyga said there was never a point when he thought Umpherville might be in medical distress. He also said he was surprised when he later learned Umpherville was in hospital.

Cst. Amanda Boland was among the first officers at the scene and spoke to Umpherville through the passenger side window. She said he had his head down and avoided eye contact.

“I wasn’t able to have much of a conversation”

During the struggle with Umpherville, Boland confirmed she struck him five-to-six times in the face after he gained control of the gas pedal and attempted to drive away. The car surged forward and rammed Boland’s cruiser.

While Umpherville was on the ground and continuing to struggle, Boland kneed him once in the back.

“It wad very apparent he was trying to get away from us,” she said.

Cst. Logan Cherewyk admitted to deploying his conducted energy weapon and pepper spraying Umpherville in the face.

“I just remember him screaming and yelling,” Cherewyk, said adding Umpherville did not stop fighting.

“It was as if he had super human strength.”

After Umpherville calmed down, he was placed on a stretcher and moved to a waiting ambulance.

“One of the paramedics looked at me and said he didn’t have a pulse,” Cherewyk testified.

Moments later, Cherewyk removed the handcuffs and, in the absence of a LUCAS machine in the ambulance, began chest compressions.

The LUCAS machine is an automated mechanical CPR device used by paramedics and hospital staff to deliver continuous, guideline-consistent chest compressions during cardiac arrest. It provides constant depth and rate, eliminates rescuer fatigue, and frees medical personnel for other interventions.

Another LUCAS was brought in and, roughly six minutes after leaving the scene, the ambulance arrived at Victoria Hospital. Umpherville was later transferred to Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

Testimony in the inquest will resume Thursday morning.