UPDATE: The Vigil planned for tonight has been postponed. 5/1 11:13 AM
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Family and friends of Boden Umpherville will gather this afternoon and evening for a candlelight vigil.
The 40-year-old, with ties to Ahtahkakoop First Nation, died Wednesday of injuries sustained during what Prince Albert Police describe as an altercation earlier this month. Video of the arrest was posted to social media, nearby public witnesses.
Close friend Chase Sinclair seeks to keep the memory of Umphrtville alive. “He’s a father of five, he’s a son, he’s a brother, he’s a cousin and is a very loved friend in the community of P.A.,” said Sinclair. “That is what I want to shine… not on the past because if we live in the past we will never move toward the future.”
The Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the incident.
“I would like to see honour and equality in their investigation and I would like to see it,” he emphasized. “I would like to see what routes and avenues they take and if it correlates with the public knowledge,” explained Sinclair.
Prince Albert Police are not commenting, but said that nine officers participated in the SIRT investigation and re-integration programs and have returned to active duty.
The vigil will be held at the Prince Albert Exhibition Grounds starting at 4:30.