'He told me to do whatever I could for him': N.B. coroner’s inquest details Skyler Sappier’s final days in hospital

Skyler Sappier’s family say they’ll offer their own recommendations, as a coroner’s inquest investigating the circumstances of Jan. 31, 2022 death nears its conclusion.

Sappier died in hospital, two days after leaving the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre, where he was an inmate.

He was 28-years-old.

Sappier first reported feeling sick to correctional centre staff on Jan. 28, 2022 in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak within the facility.

Sappier tested positive for COVID-19 prior to being driven to the hospital by two correctional officers on Jan. 29, 2022. By the end of the day, Sappier would be placed in a medically induced coma.

Managers from the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre and medical staff from the Saint John Regional Hospital gave testimony on the inquest’s second day, on Wednesday.

After the inquest’s final witness was called Tuesday afternoon, Sierra Sappier spoke to jurors about her brother.

“His dedication and love is something we could all learn from,” she said.

Skyler Sappier’s mother, Dora, spoke to reporters outside of the Saint John Law Courts.

“I feel like he was robbed of ever being able to be a dad to his small children,” she said.

'HE TOLD ME TO DO WHATEVER I COULD FOR HIM'

Dr. Mark McGraw, an emergency department physician at the Saint John Regional Hospital, testified he first met Sappier as a patient on Jan. 29, 2022 at 5:50 p.m. noting he appeared “visibly unwell.”

“Even just the work of him telling me his story was tiring him out,” said McGraw, adding that Sappier’s heart was beating between 140 and 150 times a minute, when the normal range is under 100.

McGraw said Sappier told him his first symptoms of a sore throat began a few days earlier, and that he started to experience shortness of breath “just that day.”

McGraw said Sappier was taken to a larger room in the hospital for “intense intervention”, but that his condition was clearly deteriorating.

“He was having a hard time speaking to us,” said McGraw. “Clipped sentences.”

Sappier, who was double vaccinated, was transferred to the hospital’s COVID-19 intensive care unit. McGraw said it was “very obvious” Sappier was suffering from severe pneumonia.

“He told me to do whatever I could for him,” said McGraw.

By 8:53 p.m. Sappier was placed in a medically induced coma and hooked to an ECMO oxygen machine, considered a lifesaving device of last resort.

LOG BOOKS AND SURVEILLANCE VIDEO

Staff Sgt. Stephan Pouliot of the Department of Justice and Public Safety’s professional standards unit said he investigated accusations made by Sappier’s cellmate, who alleged correctional centre staff ignored Sappier’s calls for help, and determined they were unfounded.

Pouliot said details of the cellmate’s allegation included specific mention of a correctional officer not responding to Sappier repeated banging of a cell door for help, along with Sappier being refused a request of over-the-counter pain relievers.

Pouliot said his investigation of the allegation found the officer named wasn’t working that day, and that surveillance video showed Sappier being handed Tylenol and Advil by an officer early Jan. 29, 2022 during a routine check.

Sappier’s cellmate also tested positive for COVID-19, according to previous testimony.

Pouliot said surveillance video in the facility showed Sappier was checked roughly every 30 minutes when he was in his cell, and seven times (visually) when he was moved to the facility’s medical cell for about four hours on Jan. 29. Earlier testimony from a sheriff’s deputy said Sappier was checked 10 times while in the medical unit, citing recordings from a log book.

Pouliot said his review of the incident was limited to surveillance video with no audio, adding he wasn’t able to interview medical staff at the correctional centre for the department’s own review.

Time stamps on some of the facility’s surveillance videos varied by as much as an hour, according to Pouliot, who added there was no evidence any tampering or editing.

As part of his recommendations to the department, Pouliot suggested officers be trained for log book note-taking, with notes being reviewed by supervisors.

Poulilot also recommended inmates in a medical cell be monitored in a verbal way every 15 minutes (instead of 30 minutes), and that surveillance video timestamps in the facility to be synced – something that hasn’t happened to date, according to testimony later from Saint John Regional Correctional Centre superintendent Gerry Wright.

Wright testified 64 out of 136 inmates at Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on Jan. 29, 2022 had COVID-19.

Wright also testified Sappier’s Jan. 12, 2022 application for a ‘temporary absence’ from the facility was denied because it was assessed to be “high risk.”

INQUEST CONCLUSION

A coroner’s inquest investigating Sappier’s death was announced in February 2022.

The coroner’s inquest began on Tuesday with a prayer and a drumming ceremony. Sappier was a member of Tobique First Nation.

Tobique First Nation Chief Ross Perley has attended the inquest. Several people have worn t-shirts saying “Justice for Skyler Sappier” during the hearings.

The five-person jury will have the ability to make recommendations at the conclusion of the inquest, with the goal of preventing similar incidents going forward.

A coroner’s inquest main objective is to establish facts, not responsibility.

Presiding coroner Michael Johnston will give final instruction to the inquest’s jury on Thursday.

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