SASKATOON — Boden Umpherville, a 40-year-old Prince Albert man, died in the early hours of Wednesday, April 26, at the Royal University Hospital, according to a social media post from one of his relatives.
Umpherville has been described as a victim of excessive force by Prince Albert Police Service officers during a traffic stop early this month after the vehicle he was driving was reported stolen. However, the vehicle’s registered owner was also in the car and never filed a report.
Umpherville had been in a coma for almost a month, fighting for his life, and his family decided to take him off life support on Monday, April 24. He passed away at around 6:30 a.m., April 26, with his mother Verna and cousin Tracey at his bedside.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations confirmed Umpherville’s death and will continue to support the family as they grieve the loss of their loved one. They will not release a statement and ask the public to respect the family after what they have gone through.
After the news of his death broke out, support for Umpherville’s family poured in on social media. His loved ones had always surrounded him during his unconscious state.
As part of a stolen vehicle investigation, the incident happened at 2:23 a.m. on April 1, Saturday, in the 110 block of 13th Street West in Prince Albert has raised questions about police brutality and accountability.
Videos of the incident surfaced on social media showing police officers deploying conducted energy weapons more than once while physically striking Umpherville several times. They also used pepper spray and batons while a K9 unit was at the scene.
Chase Sinclair, a close relative of the Umphervilles and the family’s spokesperson, said he has been at their side all the time and they are thankful for the support they have received from people on social media.
“I never imagined the love that has been placed upon the family. FSIN extended their love often. The RUH staff are amazing and have been keeping our loved ones as comfortable as possible,” Sinclair, who has not got enough sleep since Boden’s hospitalization, told SASKTODAY.
A GoFundMe page was also started to raise $10,000 to help the Umpherville family with funeral costs.
Ongoing investigation
PAPS Public Relations and Media Coordinator Charlene Tebutt told SASKTODAY that all officers involved in the incident continued to perform their regular duties and participated in the investigation by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team.
“Members were given time to participate in the ongoing SIRT investigation and access our reintegration program and in-house wellness strategy. These programs are available to all members based on their needs as they return to regular duty,” said Tebutt.
SIRT identified nine police officers involved in the incident and placed them on a one-week leave. The FSIN knew the officers had returned to their regular police duties.
Tebutt added that PAPS has three police members trained in Critical Reintegration for officers, working directly with them after an impactful incident or long-term absence from the workplace.
“Their peers drive this return-to-work program and offer short-term and longer-term support for public safety personnel involved in critical incidents, including CEW deployments. As members trained in reintegration, officers work with their colleagues as they return to work and are supported by our in-house wellness strategists.”
