Two correctional officers who worked at Dorchester Penitentiary are facing charges in the death of 33-year old Matthew Ryan Hines.
In May 2015, New Brunswick RCMP were called around 12:45 in the morning, about an inmate that was pronounced dead at the Moncton City Hospital.
At the time, a New Brunswick RCMP investigation concluded foul play was not suspected.
However, additional information brought forward in May 2016 prompted a review of the file by Nova Scotia RCMP.
The review resulted in 48-year old Alvida Ross, and 31-year old Mathieu Bourgoin, both Dieppe men, facing one count each of Manslaughter and Criminal Negligence Causing Death.
A report from Federal Correctional Investigator Ivan Zinger in 2017 concluded Hines’ death was preventable.
The Cape Breton man was beaten and repeatedly pepper sprayed at very close range even while clearly under the control of officers, reported Zinger.
In the report, he concludes the beating and pepper spray contributed to the quick onset of “compounding medical complications” and his death from acute asphyxia because of pulmonary edema – a condition which causes excess fluid to build up in the lungs.
Zinger says the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) “ultimate failed in its duty to protect and preserve Matthew’s life.”
On video, Hines can be heard pleading repeatedly with officers to help him, with the report showing his last known recorded words were “please, I’m begging you” uttered from behind the locked decontamination shower stall where he was lying on the floor, his hands in cuffs behind him.
Zinger says “in this case, everything that could go wrong in a use of force intervention went wrong,” adding initially CSC gave information that was misleading and incomplete to the public and Hines’ family about h is death.
Hines was serving a five year sentence for several charges, including robbery.
