Inquest looking into death of 28-year-old man begins in Kimmirut, Nunavut

WARNING: This story contains details of a death by suicide.

A week-long coroner's inquest looking into the death of a resident of Kimmirut, Nunavut, began in the community on Monday. 

George Arlooktoo, 28, died during a confrontation with RCMP officers six years ago.

Michael Foote, Nunavut's chief coroner, said the purpose of the inquest is to determine the circumstances of Arlooktoo's death and to make recommendations to prevent something similar from happening again.

Kimmirut's population, according to the 2021 census, is 426 – which made jury selection for the inquest a challenge. 

Foote acknowledged some of the prospective jurors summoned to the selection process would be related to Arlooktoo, and he asked them to consider their relationship with him before asking to be excused. 

Some of the jurors who were related to Arlooktoo said while they did not have a close relationship with him, they would struggle with hearing the evidence and felt they would not deliver a fair verdict.

After exhausting the list of those summoned, six jurors were selected. One person who was not on the list of people summoned, but had shown up anyway, was selected as the alternate juror in case one of the others had to miss proceedings.

Officers treated incident as mental health crisis

Sheldon Toner, the coroner's lawyer, summarized the events leading to Arlooktoo's death in his opening statement to the jury.

Arlooktoo was involved in a domestic dispute involving his girlfriend on February 9, 2019, he said. After the incident, she was treated at the health centre in Kimmirut for stab wounds. She heard that Arlooktoo would be a danger to himself, which resulted in the RCMP being dispatched.

When the two responding officers arrived, Toner said they talked to Arlooktoo through the door of his house to try and protect him. But from their conversation, the officers felt they had to force their way in. 

Toner said once they entered, Arlooktoo took a knife and stabbed himself several times. One of the officers tried to tase Arlooktoo, but due to the abundance of clothing Arlooktoo was wearing, the officer's actions did not have the desired effect.

The officers then took Arlooktoo to the community's health centre, but the blood loss was too much and Arlooktoo died, said Toner. 

He also said Arlooktoo had previously expressed suicidal thoughts and had previously attempted to take his own life.

One of the two lawyers with the RCMP said in her opening statement that the entire instance was treated as a mental health crisis. She said the officers were not looking to arrest Arlooktoo, rather, they were hoping to get him to the health centre before he harmed himself.

The inquest will hear more testimony this week as the hearing unfolds.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• In Nunavut, reach the Kamatsiaqtut Help Line 24/7 at 1-800-265-3333 or 867-979-3333.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline 24/7 by phone or text 24/7, toll free by dialing or texting 9-8-8. 
• Hope For Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 (phone, available in Inuktitut, Cree and Ojibway upon request).
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.