ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The news that corrections officers have been arrested and charged in the death of Jonathan Henoche came as a comfort to his family, according to their lawyer.
“The uncertainty weighed heavily on the family,” Bob Buckingham said shortly after the RNC confirmed the arrests Monday.
“I can tell you there were tears of relief. When I spoke to the family (Monday), they were on the way to Jonny’s grave with flowers to say a prayer.”
While the RNC confirmed the charges have not yet been sworn in court, no information was provided about how many people were charged or details of the charges
However, a source told The Telegram that up to 10 corrections officers were arrested. They have been released on conditions and will appear in provincial court in St. John’s at a later date.
Henoche — who was to be tried for first-degree murder in the July 2018 death of 88-year-old Regula Schule of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, originally from Switzerland — was found dead in HMP’s segregation unit cell on Nov. 6, 2019, after an altercation with corrections officers.
Shortly after, police deemed it was a homicide.
Sources told The Telegram at the time that the altercation broke out during lunch hour, around 12:30 p.m., in Unit 2B, the protective custody unit, at the St. John’s prison.
It allegedly started when Henoche made physical contact with a female corrections officer’s arm, and that led to a “smack-for-smack” fight between corrections officers and Henoche.
Shortly after, multiple staff members swarmed the unit.
A source had told The Telegram there was so much blood in the area that an outside agency had to be called in to clean it up.
Two corrections officers — a woman and a man — were sent to the medical unit, while Henoche was handcuffed behind his back and taken to segregation, the source said.
Once in segregation, Henoche was reportedly kicking corrections officers, which prompted them to put iron leg restraints on him.
When they checked on him five minutes later, he wasn’t breathing, the source said. Medical staff tried to resuscitate him, administering CPR for about 40 minutes, but couldn’t revive him.
In November, when police still hadn’t released information about the progress in the investigation, Buckingham expressed outrage and called for an inquiry into the death.
However, shortly after, Lloyd Strickland, director of the province’s public prosecution, confirmed to The Telegram that the RNC had been in contact with his office about the case and that charges were expected to be laid “very soon.”
On Monday, Buckingham said it is concerning that corrections officers were charged but were not held in custody to appear before a judge right away.
The RNC said it will provide further information as the investigation progresses. Investigators are asking that anybody with information that may help in the case to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided anonymously on the NL Crime Stoppers website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.
Meanwhile, in a news release Monday, Justice and Public Safety Minister Steve Crocker offered condolences to Henoche’s family and friends.
“This is a tough day for a lot of people,” he said.
“This is a highly sensitive and serious situation. We respect the work of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and thank them. We have and will continue to review policies and procedures in adult corrections to ensure we meet best practices from across the country.”
Since the matter is before the court, Crocker said, he can’t comment on human resources issues, including the employment status of correctional officers involved in the investigation.
He added, “I reiterate my commitment to ensuring we have a safe and healthy living and work environment across all of our correctional facilities for staff and inmates."
Earlier story:
More than a year after an inmate was found dead in a segregation unit cell at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP), police are laying multiple charges against multiple corrections officers.
The RNC confirmed the arrests today. The individuals charged have been released on conditions and will appear in court at a later date. The charges have not yet been sworn in court.
While details about the charges have not yet been released, sources confirmed to The Telegram today that there have been 10 people arrested.
Jonathan Henoche was found dead in HMP’s segregation unit cell on Nov. 6, 2019, after an altercation with corrections officers. Shortly after, police deemed it was a homicide.
Sources told The Telegram at the time that the altercation reportedly broke out during lunch hour at around 12:30 p.m. in unit 2B, the protective custody unit, at the St. John’s prison.
It allegedly started when Henoche made physical contact with a female corrections officer’s arm, and that led to a “smack-for-smack” fight between corrections officers and Henoche.
Shortly after, multiple staff members swarmed the unit.
A source had told The Telegram there was so much blood in the area, an outside agency had to be called in to clean it up.
Two corrections officers — a woman and a man — were sent to the medical unit, while Henoche was handcuffed behind his back and brought to segregation, the source said.
Once in segregation, Henoche was reportedly kicking corrections officers, which prompted them to put iron leg restraints on him.
When they checked on him five minutes later, the source said, he wasn’t breathing. Medical staff tried to resuscitate him, administering CPR for about 40 minutes, but couldn’t revive him.
Bob Buckingham, who represents Henoche’s family and estate, called for an inquiry into the death.
However, shortly after, Lloyd Strickland, director of the province’s public prosecution, confirmed to The Telegram that the RNC had been in contact with his office about the case and that charges were expected to be laid “very soon.”
Henoche was to be tried in June 2020 for first-degree murder in the July 2018 death of 88-year-old Regula Schule of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, who was originally from Switzerland.
The RNC is asking that anybody with information which may help in the case to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided anonymously on the NL Crime Stoppers Website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.
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