Officer Relates What Happened In MJPS Cells

WARNING - THE FOLLOWING IS GRAPHIC AND DETAILS A SUICIDE IN MJPS CUSTODY

“I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS REALLY IN PAIN OR IS HE JUST USING IT SO WE DIDN’T HAVE TO GO TO COURT?” CST PAYTON DENET IN A FINAL CONVERSATION WITH JEREMY SABOURIN

When Jeremy Joseph Sabourin woke up in the Moose Jaw Police Service’s (MJPS) cells to attend court on October 7, 2020 he complained about severe back pain to Constable Payton Denet.

The pain was so intense Sabourin said he couldn’t attend court later that morning.

The alleged pain would set of an entire series of events that ended with Sabourin taking his life in a dramatic fashion.

MJPS Policies

Asked about the understanding of MJPS policies Denet would say “it is on the officer to understand them.”

He did not known whose responsibility it was in the MJPS to ensure officers follow the policies.

“If you as an officer on the street, don’t know who’s responsibility it is would you think that maybe someone in the MJPS should take on that responsibility?” an inquest lawyer asked.

Denet said you could find that out by going through the chain of command.

Denet Talks To Sabourin

Denet would be the last to speak with Sabourin trying to get the straggler up for court.

“I went back to his cell to get him ready for court. The Commissionaire said he had been complaining about back issues. So when I went back and looked. I told him to get ready it was time to go to court. He was the last one that was getting ready. He stated his back was acting up and he was in pain,” Denet said.

Sabourin said that his lower back he had previous issues with They had done x-rays and the doctors reports signify he was telling the truth,” Denet said.

Denet said Sabourin had managed to get himself up and pulled himself up but it was obvious to tell he was in pain.

“While he was doing that he was sort of panting,” Denet said. “You could just tell it looked like he was struggling.”

“He asked at that time if we were wheelchair able and I told him at that time I was not aware if we had a wheelchair,” Denet told an inquest lawyer.

Denet said he was wary about Sabourin’s motives and if he had been using it as an excuse,

“I asked him if he was really in pain or is he just using it so we didn’t have to go to court?”

“He (Sabourin) said he was in pain and he wasn’t going to cause any issues…so I told him he could sit tight and make himself more comfortable and I was going to go and notify my supervisor,” Denet said.

Denet said there may have been a warning sign given to him about contraband in Sabourin’s cell.

“After I exited the cell I locked the door. There is some sort of glass metal device balled up in his cell I grabbed that before leaving.”

The device was taken back to the intake desk.

Asked if the device was something out of the ordinary Denet said “Yeah it caught me off guard.”

Because I figured when people go to cells there shouldn’t be anything other than what they were given I was just confused as to why and how did they get there?”

Denet said he radio to staff sergeant to come back in to cells and how Sabourin spoke about having back pain add given what was in a cell

“So we went back to the cell and once we got back to the cell..and Jeremy is no longer lying down.”

Denet and Staff Sergeant Flanigan saw Sabourin just as he took his life.

“I seen him hold a black and silver long pistol and he pulled it out to go up to his mouth. I yelled stop I heard him mumble something and right away,” Denet said, adding “Seconds after he mumbled something, I heard a gunshot go off.”

Denet explained the aftermath in graphic detail.

“I remember hearing gurgle and blood around his face and after I did that push on flashlight to see what was going on…He was hunched over…and his palms we’re on the block and ribs.

The revolver would be tossed on a cement bench and people told to be cautious of it.

Throughout this CPR was started.

Constable Melanie Durrant - who was a nurse before joining the force - was summoned from the basement to help save Sabourin’s life.

Denet would pull out a very small and thin holster in his waistband.

“Once I pulled it out and realized it was a holster. I just threw it out of the cell. I don’t understand why I just threw it outside of the cell. I just wanted to get it out of the way,” Denet said.

Efforts to save Sabourin’s failed.

“I remember the time hearing there was no reading of a pulse.”

Forty year old Jeremy Joseph Sabourin of Assiniboia had passed away.