Body cams, EMT presence, and additional police training recommended by jury at Umpherville inquest

Lexi Saldaña

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Daily Herald

After five days of testimony, the jury at the coroner’s inquest into the death of Boden Umpherville has recommended Prince Albert Police Service officers wear body cameras to ensure all incidents are properly recorded.

The recommendation was one of four the jury returned following a few hours of deliberation at the Court of King’s Bench on Friday.

The other recommendations three recommendations are:

• • While emergency services are on-scene, one Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is to be present with person who is in need of medical assistance
• • When conducting a traffic stop, it is mandatory that the vehicle is turned off and keys are removed
• • Officers are given additional training in different types of asphyxias and how to avoid them

The Umpherville family denied a request for an interview about Friday’s recommendations.

The jury returned to the court after a few hours of consideration, confirming that Umpherville died on April 26 of 2023 at the Royal University Hospital due to asphyxiation and cocaine intoxication and deemed the cause of death as ‘undetermined.’

On April 1 of 2023, Boden Umpherville, 40-years-old, was involved in an altercation with members of the Prince Albert Police Service. He was a passenger in a vehicle that had been reported stolen earlier that day. The woman who had reported it stolen was inside the vehicle, stating that the vehicle had been returned to her a few minutes prior, but failed to cancel the report. 

Upon investigation, Umpherville provided police with a fake name, of which one of the officers identified him and told him he was under arrest for outstanding warrants. He refused to exit the vehicle, and the situation escalated from there. 

Umpherville continued to resist up to five officers, where they then used different means of detaining him, including using OC spray, tasers, and metal batons. After officers managed to remove him from the car, he continued to struggle while being placed in handcuffs. 

According to a Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) report issued in 2025, Umpherville reported difficulty breathing after being arrested, and paramedics reported that his heart stopped while he was loaded into an ambulance.

Paramedics performed chest compressions and provided Umpherville with oxygen, according to the report. A second ambulance with specialized equipment for mechanical chest compressions was called to the scene. That ambulance transported Umpherville to hospital, and his pulse briefly returned before ceasing before arrival.

He was then moved to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon the next day where he stayed in a coma with no brain activity until he died on April 26 of 2023. 

A couple days after his death, friends, family members, and supporters gathered in front of the Court of King’s Bench, marching down to Central Avenue to protest and raise awareness about the death of Umpherville. 

In July of 2024, family and friends assembled once again for an awareness and memorial walk, with blue handprints and blue signs remembering Umpherville. The walk was part of a project that investigated experiences of “over-protection” or “under-protection” by police in collaboration with researchers from the University of Saskatchewan. 

In a statement, the Prince Albert Police Service said, “The Service recognizes the impact this process has on Mr. Umpherville’s family and loved ones. We understand the significance of the inquest for those most closely affected and acknowledge the importance of ensuring the proceedings were conducted in a respectful and meaningful manner.”