Coroner's inquest hears Fredericton-area man went into medical distress while being taken to jail

A jury at a coroner's inquest Wednesday heard how a Fredericton-area man went into medical distress while being transported by sheriffs to the Saint John jail two years ago.

Chris Furzer was one of the sheriffs transporting 59-year-old Lonnie Carr to the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre on April 4, 2023, when he said he noticed Carr was in distress.

"When I looked back over my shoulder I could see him shaking uncontrollably," he said to the five-person jury.

Furzer said they pulled over on the Petersville Hill and called an ambulance. He asked Carr if he had consumed anything but he didn't respond. Carr was still awake but unable to communicate, he said. 

Furzer told the jury he administered a Narcan nasal spray to reverse the effects of a possible overdose. He also checked Carr's vital signs and continued to monitor him until the ambulance arrived.

Once paramedics were on the scene, he said, they confirmed Carr had gone into cardiac arrest. Furzer said he helped administer CPR all the way to the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton, where hospital staff took over.

Carr, a married father of three, with two grandchildren, died in hospital five days later, on April 9. 

Arrested in Tracy

Staff Sgt. Dan Sharpe testified that he was stationed at the Oromocto RCMP detachment on April 3, 2023, when it received a call alleging that Carr's partner had been assaulted with a hatchet in Tracy, near Fredericton. 

He said Carr was known to police, and they proceeded to the call with caution, especially because domestic calls "can turn very quickly."

Once they located Carr's partner safely outside, he said they arrested Carr without incident. 

Sharpe said Carr had multiple health complications, including bone cancer and heart problems. He said police secured his medication and brought it back to the detachment, making sure it was all prescribed to Carr and had not expired.

Sharpe said Carr didn't appear to be under the influence of drugs and was "extremely co-operative" and polite.

RCMP Const. Patrick Jolin-Rodrigue also responded to the call that day and transported Carr back to the Oromocto detachment. He described Carr as a pleasant person, who maintained conversation during the entire drive.

Jolin-Rodrigue said he found a plastic bag that contained 7½ methamphetamine pills, known as ice, on Carr when he did a more thorough body check at the station. 

He said in his experience, people on meth are highly agitated, often sweating, stuttering and unable to focus. He said Carr was civil and showed no signs of intoxication.

"The whole process was completely uneventful," he said.

Carr was held at the Oromocto detachment overnight and given a remand hearing by phone the next morning. 

Sharpe said he had a 45-minute interview with Carr that morning and watched him take his medications as they talked. He said nothing changed in Carr's demeanour during this time. He also had coffee and water during their meeting and later had breakfast. 

Later that morning, the sheriffs were called to take Carr to the Saint John Correctional Centre. Sharpe said that they were briefed on Carr's health conditions and that methamphetamine was found on him.

The inquest is expected to wrap up tomorrow.

Emily Caissy, the deputy chief coroner, said an inquest is mandatory when someone dies in custody. It does not make any finding of legal responsibility. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.