Trial begins for Manitoba correctional officer charged in inmate's death

Family members broke down in tears in a Manitoba courtroom Friday as they watched video surveillance showing the moments an Indigenous inmate became unresponsive after a violent confrontation with guards following an hours-long stand off.

This marked the first day of trial for Robert Jeffrey Morden in Manitoba's provincial court.

Morden has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life, in the connection with the death of William Ahmo.

Ahmo had been an inmate at the Headingley Correctional Centre. Police have previously said the 45-year-old man had been involved in a standoff with correctional officers on Feb. 7, 2021, and died days later on Feb. 14. 2021.

Morden has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The courtroom's gallery was completely filled Friday as the trial began. On one side the accused sat with members of his family and other supporters. On the other side sat members of Ahmo's family, including his mother.

“On the afternoon in question, Mr. Ahmo began to be very aggressive and belligerent,” Ontario Crown Prosecutor Jason Nicol, who was brought in for the trial, told the court.

“Much of it was captured on video, which we will see.”

Nicol told the court the situation went on for several hours, before a tactical team – the Corrections Emergency Response Unit – was activated, the captain of which was the accused, Morden.

The Crown’s first witness in the case was Michel Jolicoeur, a senior unit officer at the jail who also acted as a crisis negotiator.

Jolicoeur told the court around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, he heard a code green - which means an officer requires assistance - and a code 33 shortly after - meaning an officer is in immediate danger.

“The minute I arrived, I seen inmate William Ahmo in an extreme agitated anger,” Jolicoeur said, adding Ahmo was breaking items, holding weapons and threatening staff.

Video surveillance of the incident, which was entered as evidence in the trial, shows the confrontation between Ahmo and the correctional officers. At one point in the video, Ahmo is heard telling Jolicoeur that one of the officers had made a racist comment to him. He is later heard in the video telling Jolicoeur he wanted to die and go to heaven.

The video shows the standoff escalating as Ahmo is seen breaking a mop handle into two, and wielded the broken pieces and yelling at the officers. Jolicoeur testified he believed Ahmo had been experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.

The final video played in court Friday showed the moment officers with emergency response unit confronted Ahmo, as several officers armed with batons are seen bringing him to the ground and dragging him from the area.

During this video, Ahmo could be heard yelling and repeatedly telling the officers he couldn't breathe - and he was told at least once told to be quiet.

Shortly after this, the video shows Ahmo becoming unresponsive and a code red is called.

Nicol told the court once Ahmo was extracted, he lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest. He said CPR was performed and Ahmo’s heartbeat did return before he was taken to hospital in Winnipeg and was intubated for several days.

Nicol told the court on Feb. 14, the decision was made to discontinue life support.

A statement from Ahmo’s mother Darlene, released earlier this week, said her son was a proud and loving father.

“Our family has struggled with this tragedy. It has been a horrible nightmare that we go through each day. The pain and heartache is numbing,” the statement reads.

“We still don’t have all the answers with what happened to Will. This tragedy has changed our lives forever.”

The Crown is expected to continue its evidence Tuesday,

The trial is scheduled for 10 days.