A coroner's inquest into the death of a mentally ill man at an Ontario jail is hearing from a correctional officer who had the man recorded on video in an effort to document his deteriorating condition.
Clark Moss, who was a sergeant at the Central East Correctional Centre at the time, says he had an “incredibly bad sinking feeling” in his stomach as soon as he saw Soleiman Faqiri in his segregation cell on Dec. 11, 2016.
He says Faqiri had vomit and feces encrusted on his body and the stench from his cell was so strong that it affected the entire unit.
Moss says he wanted his interactions with Faqiri filmed in order to have evidence of the 30-year-old man's mental health condition. The footage has previously been shown at the inquest.
The inquest has heard Faqiri was brought to the Lindsay, Ont., jail in early December after he was arrested for allegedly stabbing a neighbour during a mental health crisis.
Jurors have heard Faqiri's mental health worsened in custody, and he died in his cell on Dec. 15, 2016, after a violent struggle with correctional officers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2023.