Inquest called into Manitoba inmate death in 2021

An inquest has been called into the death of William Ahmo, an inmate who died following a standoff in 2021.

Manitoba’s chief medical examiner is calling for an inquest into the death of an inmate at a provincial jail more than four years ago.

John K. Younes called the inquest into the death of William Ahmo on July 8. A date for the inquest has not been set.

Ahmo, 45, was an inmate at Headingley Correctional Centre and died on Feb. 14, 2021, following an incident a week earlier.

According to the release, Ahmo was acting aggressively at the correctional centre, which escalated to violent behaviour and required a lockdown in the facility.

“His behaviour continued to escalate, and staff responded with a variety of actions including pepper spray and flash bangs which were used as a distraction,” the release said. “Eventually, staff entered with the intent of restraining the decedent and bringing him under control. A prolonged and at times violent interaction between the guards and the decedent ensued.”

The release states Ahmo stopped struggling but was still breathing, and suffered a “cardiorespiratory arrest” at some point shortly after. He was resuscitated and hospitalized but died a week later.

According to an autopsy, Ahmo’s death was determined to be caused by a hypoxemic-ischemic brain injury due to cardiorespiratory arrest, and the manner of death was homicide.

Robert Jeffrey Morden, a corrections officer, was charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life in connection to the death. He was acquitted of all charges in September 2024 following a trial.

Corey Shefman, the lawyer for Ahmo’s family, said they are in favour of the inquest being announced.

“It is unclear to us why it has taken more than nine months since the criminal case appeal window ended to get the process started and we are hopeful that there will not be further delays as the inquest moves forward,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to the standing hearing being scheduled as soon as possible.”

 

Under the province’s Fatality Inquiries Act, an inquest into a death must be held if the chief medical officer has “reasonable grounds” to believe the deceased died as a result of the use of force by a peace officer who was acting in the course of duty. It must also be held if the deceased was in the custody of a peace officer or a resident in a custodial facility.

The goal of the inquiry is to determine the circumstances relating to Ahmo’s death and determine if anything can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.

 In addition to the inquest on Ahmo’s death, Younes announced future inquests into the deaths of Stony Mountain Institution inmates Patrick Eaglestick, Curt Harper, Melvis Owen, Farron Rowan and Adrian Young, who all died by suicide between March and December 2020.

Another inquest was announced into the death of Jesse Thomas, a Stony Mountain inmate who was found dead from an accidental drug overdose in November 2021.

 

-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger