A tragic revelation has been uncovered by a Quebec coroner, declaring that the life of a 16-year-old Cree girl, Neebin Icebound, might have been spared if the police had undertaken a more extensive search for her after she was reported to have fallen into a ditch.
On the morning of October 9, 2022, law enforcement had received an emergency call indicating a half-dressed woman lying unresponsive near an elementary school in the Cree community of Waswanipi, approximately 490 kilometers to the northwest of Quebec City. Among the first responders were three officers, two from the Quebec Provincial Police and one from the Cree Police Service. Armed with flashlights and the illumination from their patrol cars, these officers dedicated merely around 10 minutes of their time to the search amidst the foggy dawn.
Coroner Karine Spénard, author of the report on Icebound’s unsettling demise, found it baffling that the officers did not invest more time in this significant task. Their search was limited despite the chilling weather – rain paired with freezing temperatures that should have urged a more extensive operation. Spénard pointed out that given the mysterious circumstances surrounding the woman, she could have been a victim of a crime or medical emergency, pacing the responsibility of vigilance squarely on the shoulders of the police.
Ironically, Icebound was discovered two hours later on the same street officers patrolled, approximately 200 meters from their initial search area. By then, she was experiencing difficulty in breathing and by the time she was admitted to the Waswanipi clinic, her pulse was undetectable. Despite the relentless efforts of the medical staff who strived for over an hour to revive her, young Icebound was declared deceased.
Reflecting upon the events leading to her death, it surfaced that Icebound had been heavily intoxicated and unsteady. She had been consuming alcohol near the elementary school, deciding later to explore another part of town. Footage from a nearby security camera confirmed that she fell into a soaked ditch, subsequently stripping off her wet clothing and left shivering in a short-sleeved shirt. Despite a witness’s claims of warning the police to check the ditch for Icebound, the information was overlooked according to officer testimony.
Spénard’s report concluded that the officers exhibited unprofessional behavior, straying from their oath to protect and serve the public. She expressed that while her duty isn’t to assign blame, she recommended a thorough evaluation of the incident by the police ethics commissioner and a revision of the search conduct by the provincial police and the Cree Eeyou Eenou Police Service.
While the senior officer on duty at Eeyou Eenou police headquarters was not familiar with the report’s details, he emphasized the importance his force places on coroner recommendations and their continuous striving for improvement. The Quebec Provincial Police, unfortunately, failed to respond to a request for comment. Throughout this tragedy, the crucial lesson of the priceless worth of vigilance, diligence, and empathy in public service is emphasized.
