Family members of a Barrie man who died while in police custody in 2018 are bracing themselves for another look at his death, with the coroner’s inquest set to begin March 4.
Olando Brown, 32, died June 22, 2018 while in the custody of the Barrie Police Service.
In 2019, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said Brown’s cause of death was determined to be an airway obstruction after he pulled two drug-filled, “golf ball-sized” plastic bags from his rectal area and attempted to swallow them during a search at police headquarters, which at that time was located on Sperling Drive.
Custody deaths are mandatory under the Coroners Act. The inquest involving Brown's death was announced Feb. 6.
The inquest, which is expected to last five days and hear from seven witnesses, will examine the circumstances surrounding his death. The jury can make recommendations aimed at preventing further deaths.
Nevaeh Dubois, who was 11 at the time of Brown’s death and is part of his family circle, contacted BarrieToday shortly after the inquest dates were announced.
“Our family definitely welcomes and is in full support of the inquiry,” said Dubois, who is now 17 and resides in Hamilton.
“From the endless questions and grief, it gives us a chance to get the closure we need. What really went on behind the scenes when he was in custody? Why did it amount to his death? Where was the video proof?”
Dubois says Brown assumed the role of a father figure in her life, because her biological father wasn’t present in her life.
“He cared for me as if I was his own, raising me from the time I was three months old,” she said. “To both him and the family, I am his daughter without a doubt — nobody could tell him any different.”
Dubois described Brown as a “kind-hearted" man.
“He had a smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms,” she said.
“He also took the responsibility of raising my younger sister as well, even after he and my mother split up. From holidays, birthdays and events, he’d always be there for us. He always said, ‘Sisters never separate.’”
She said he was “always someone to help out others in need ... He was a giver. He gave others hope, strength and love. I remember he’d even buy an elderly woman in our neighbourhood groceries.”
As the coroner’s inquest nears, she says none of her family was notified of the dates.
“The initial problem was that no one was contacted about this inquiry. From his family in Jamaica or family here in Canada, nobody had received any information,” Dubois said.
“It disappointed everyone that we found out through a (BarrieToday) article five years after the incident.”
In 2018, Brown had an outstanding arrest warrant for assault and had been placed in custody less than two hours before his death that summer day.
During a struggle with police, officers used a stun gun on him four times for an elapsed time of 21 seconds at the Five Points in downtown Barrie during his arrest, which was caught on video.
Following Brown’s arrest, he was examined by paramedics at the police station and found to be in good health. They removed the stun-gun probes from his shoulder and left the building, according to the SIU.
Brown was then taken to another room with two officers for a strip search. To protect his privacy, the SIU says the video equipment was disabled, which is in compliance with Barrie police policy for such searches, while the audio continued to record.
The SIU said Brown “suddenly” removed objects from his rectal area and placed them in his mouth. The officers tried to remove them, but were unsuccessful.
Not long after, Brown went into medical distress. Officers performed CPR and the paramedics, who were still in the parking lot, were called back inside.
Brown was found without vital signs and attempts were made to save his life. He was rushed to hospital, where two balloons were removed from his throat.
After some time spent trying to resuscitate him, Brown was pronounced dead.
Health Canada later determined the bags contained heroin, fentanyl, caffeine and the painkiller dimethylsulphone, although they did not contribute to Brown’s death because the substances did not enter his bloodstream, according to the report.
The SIU’s report determined no criminal charges would be laid against the city police officers who were involved in Brown’s arrest.
Dubois says there is more to Brown than has been reported.
“He’s not just another name in the news, and definitely not what he’s painted out to be. This was a man with passions, dreams and goals. This is a man with family, friends and feelings,” she said.
“He never should have died that day and it’s unfortunate that I will have to live with that fact for the rest of my life.”
Dubois said milestone events in her life get harder with each passing year since Brown’s death.
“Grade 8 graduation was hard enough,” she said. “I graduate and leave for college next year, and I know it’s going to be my biggest challenge to face, always having that constant thought or feeling that someone is missing.”
For Dubois and their circle of friends and family, the memories of Brown will last a lifetime.
“He gave others a friend, a brother and, to me, a father. I remember he gave me someone to look up to, someone and something to believe in," she said.
The inquest will be conducted by video conference and is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, March 4. Dr. Richard McLean will be the presiding officer and John Rinaldi will be the inquest counsel.
