N.B. inquest recommends installing cameras in sheriff vehicles after man died in custody in 2023

A jury at a coroner’s inquest in Fredericton has made a number of recommendations, including installing cameras in all sheriff vehicles, aimed at improving safety while transporting people in custody.

The inquest into the death of Lonnie Carr was held Wednesday and Thursday. Carr died from a drug-induced cardiac arrest while in sheriff custody on April 9, 2023.

Coroners and juries can classify a death as a homicide, suicide, accident, natural causes or manner undetermined.

The inquest found Carr’s death was the result of an accident.

The five-member jury heard from six witnesses and made recommendations for three separate agencies.

The recommendations for the RCMP are as follows:

• thresholds for conducting personal searches should be lowered
• a more thorough inspection of medication and personal items should be conducted

The recommendations for sheriffs are as follows:

• cameras should be installed in all vehicles to monitor passengers
• vehicles should be checked before and after transfers or moves
• prior warning should be provided to Ambulance NB for transfers involving a person with a high medical risk
• personal items should not be allowed during transfers

The recommendation made for Ambulance NB is:

• The 20-minute wait on-site to stabilize patients, which is the current policy, should be made at the discretion of the emergency medical technician.

The province says the chief coroner will forward all of the recommendations to the appropriate agencies for consideration and response.

The response will be included in the chief coroner’s annual report for 2025.

An inquest is a formal court proceeding that allows for the public presentation of all evidence relating to a death.

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