Friendly giant, father, mother: 5 Winnipeg Remand Centre inmate deaths

Manitoba families are looking for answers following the deaths of five people who were inmates at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.

Four men and one woman have died while in custody of the centre since March. Individual reviews follow each death and in most of the cases the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will decide whether to conduct an inquiry. In one case the IIU is investigating because the struggle was with a police officer or a corrections officer.

"The clustering of these events requires a broader review and assessment that may not be captured in individual reviews where each is looked at in the context of its own circumstance," Manitoba's Minister of Justice Heather Stefanson said in a statement.

"I have asked the Community Safety Division to conduct a systematic assessment to determine if there are common themes to these tragic events that need to be addressed."

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A man in the custody of the remand centre died at hospital on Oct. 25. The inmate was transported to hospital in serious condition, according to a Manitoba Corrections spokesperson.

Manitoba Corrections will launch an internal review and report the death to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

• Winnipeg Remand Centre inmate dies in hospital

Russell Spence

Russell Spence, 31, died Oct. 12 after he was involved in an altercation during processing at the centre. He became unresponsivethen later died in hospital.

The father of two was called a "friendly giant" by family and friends.

"All his friends and everyone knew he would not hurt anybody, or start anything. I find this very suspicious about his death," said Kevin Bittern, Spence's older brother.

Spence had a long criminal record, with convictions for theft and possessing property obtained by a crime. At the time of his arrest, he was on a two-year supervised probation for a June conviction.

The IIU is investigating because the struggle was with a police officer or a corrections officer, but it wouldn't specify which one.

• Remand centre inmate who died after struggle was a 'friendly giant'

Robert McAdam

Robert McAdam, 53, died Sept. 4 after being found unresponsive at the remand centre.

Hewas a good athlete who loved bowling, baseball and golf, according to his obituary.

On Sept. 4 McAdam was picked up for breaching a court order.Later in the day he was found unresponsive at the centre. He was brought to the Health Sciences Centre and died two days later.

McAdam's sister, Sheila, said a nurse told her that he drank a substance, but was not sure whether it was before he was in custody or while behind bars.

"When did he do this," she asked, adding that it's not clear whether her brother should have been taken directly to hospital. "Nobody will answer you, it's very frustrating."

A provincial spokesperson said Manitoba Corrections is conducting an internal review and McAdam's death was reported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Errol Greene

Errol Greene, 26, of Winnipeg died on May. 1 after two epileptic seizures at the centre.

Greene had four children and was described as a "loving father" by family.

CBC News obtained a copy of Greene's detailed autopsy report which said that Greene was not administered his seizure-controlling medication while in custody. The autopsy report stated that Greene had two seizures, and after the first he was handcuffed, shackled and held face down. An ambulance was called after the second seizure.

Once at the Health Sciences Centre Emergency Department, Greene was given several rounds of epinephrine but Greene had severe brain damage and was comatose until his death at 8:27 p.m.

The report explained the immediate cause of death was "acute hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy," which means a sudden lack of oxygen to the brain.

Greene was being detained for breaching a probation order not to consume alcohol. He was under the probation order for a mischief under $5,000 charge.

Greene's family is calling for an inquest into his death, but that remains in the hands of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

• What happened to Errol Greene? Autopsy results reveal new info on inmate death

Hollie Hall

Hollie Hall, a 38-year-old from the Sagkeeng First Nation, died on March 17 after contracting influenza or a flu-like illness while in custody at the remand centre.

Hall, a mother to a daughter, loved fishing and was described as honest, caring and funny.

"She just really, really loved her daughter. That's all she talked about. She talked about family," said Morgan Bruyere, a second cousin and closefriend of Hall's.

Before ending up in the centre Hall was sick but afraid to go to the hospital because there was a warrant for her arrest, according to family. She was arrested in late January for a breach of a no-contact order.

Hall had been in custody for about a month and was treated at the remand centre before she was transferred to St. Boniface hospital. She was put into a medically induced coma and eventually died after being taken off life support.

"Doctorssaid if she was brought in two weeks earlier, she would have survived," Hall's stepfather, Dan Kane, told CBC News.

Hall's mother, Gerri, said she plans to sue the province of Manitoba.

• 'I plan on suing for my daughter's life,' says mother of dead Winnipeg inmate