An inmate sentenced to nine years in prison for manslaughter receives $30,000 in compensation from the state after he was beaten by correctional officers.
• Also read: Nine years in prison after killing for $40 in debt
The incident happened during a move to another sector of the Rivière-des-Prairies detention center in 2015. Correctional officers pulled inmate Roody Louis from his cell, who showed “inadequate” cooperation.
“He received a gas bottle, punches in the face, a kick in the teeth. This resulted in three broken teeth and he won’t be seeing a dentist until April 2017,” we read in Judge Luc Huppé’s decision made this week.
“By failing to conduct at least an examination of Mr. Louis’ actual physical condition, including the condition of his teeth, upon receipt of his complaints, the facility is showing recklessness with regard to the violence he allegedly suffered,” the judge wrote.
violations
On the day of the intervention, Roody Louis was brought before a detention center disciplinary committee. Since his arrest in February 2014, he has kept around forty disciplinary files.
During this disciplinary council, Mr. Louis stated that he was happy with his transfer and had “every interest” in working together. According to him, the intervention team unnecessarily used an anti-inflammatory drug, which put an end to their collaboration.
Five minutes into the hearing, he received a sentence of seven days in prison, followed by five days in prison. He immediately requested a review of the decision, which was upheld.
Mr. Louis subsequently filed at least three complaints with the Rivière-des-Prairies Detention Center, the Québec Ombudsman and the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) regarding the procedure, all for a kick to the face that broke three teeth. However, these complaints were dismissed.
“I felt the splinters of teeth in my mouth… After that, I went mad with rage,” the prisoner said in one of his ads, not hiding his violent behavior after the altercation.
shadow zone
During his 2017 trial, Mr Louis also reiterated that he was beaten by correctional officers.
His complaint was unsuccessful as video of the altercation was not filmed due to a mistake by a member of the intervention team.
However, Mr. Louis received a reduced sentence and received nine years in prison for killing another drug dealer for a $40 debt.
Were it not for that incident, which happened in December 2015, the “reasonable sentence” for Roody Louis could have been up to 12 years in prison, the judge commented during the 2017 trial.
Damage payment
After exhausting his options, Louis filed a lawsuit against the Quebec Attorney General for $68,832 in moral and criminal damages.
Judge Huppé ruled that he would eventually receive $30,000 for the damage suffered.
“The fact that Mr. Louis did not take all of the pain medication he was given suggests that the pain he felt must have been tolerable. […] The evidence presented to support the claim of such an amount is not sufficient. Nevertheless, it clearly shows the existence of a prejudice,” the judgment reads.
– In collaboration with Michaël Nguyen
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