MONTREAL - Eight years after he died while being taken into police custody, an inquiry has begun into the death of Michel Berniquez.
The 45-year-old man, who had a history of drug abuse problems. had a heart attack while being subdued by six police officers in Montreal North in June 2003.
His family has fought for years to have a public inquiry into the death, outraged that an outside police force and two other agencies that investigated the death had determined police were not at fault.
Quebec's chief coroner asked in 2006 for the right to hold a public inquiry, but Quebec Superior Court ruled in favour of the Police Brotherhood which argued that an inquiry would be a waste of public funds.
In 2010 the Court of Appeal decided an inquiry could go ahead, saying a public investigation of Berniquez's death would allow the coroner to provide recommendations for saving lives of people in medical distress while being arrested.
Doctor says drugs responsible
On Wednesday morning a doctor testified about Berniquez's medical history.
He had a history of abusing cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines, and six months before his arrest had a psychotic episode and was temporarily placed in the Philippe-Pinel Institute to undergo psychiatric care.
In June 2003 police were responding to two calls about an agitated man who refused to pay for food at a depanneur and was fighting in a parking lot.
When police tried to arrest him, Berniquez hit an officer in the face and tried to take his nightstick.
Six people were needed to subdue Berniquez who continued to struggle even after being handcuffed.
Paramedics arrived to find Berniquez was having a heart attack, and he died en route to hospital.
On the day of his death Berniquez had been using cocaine and speed, and after conducting an autopsy coroner Michel Ferland ruled the drugs had caused Berniquez's heart failure.
