Saskatchewan Mother Challenges Police Watchdog Findings After Son's Death in RCMP Custody

Nicole Sanderson is pushing back against an official investigation that cleared three Melfort RCMP officers of wrongdoing in the April 2025 death of her 29-year-old son, Dominick Moostoos, during an arrest on James Smith Cree Nation. She says she wants her son remembered for his generosity, not the circumstances of his death, while also calling for changes to how police restrain people in crisis.

What the police oversight report found

The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), the province's independent police watchdog, investigates any death or serious injury connected to law enforcement actions in Saskatchewan. In a report released October 9, SIRT concluded that RCMP officers had lawful grounds to arrest Moostoos under the Mental Health Act after he made statements, including twice saying he would "fight to the death," that led an officer to believe he was in a mental health crisis. The report, based on interviews with 13 civilian witnesses, states that after a brief foot pursuit, Moostoos lay down and was handcuffed while officers held his shoulder and arm. An autopsy determined the cause of death was positional asphyxia combined with acute methamphetamine and cocaine toxicity.

A mother's account differs from the official record

Sanderson disputes key details in SIRT's findings. She said witnesses, including a sister-in-law, told her that Moostoos did not resist arrest and that officers used knees and elbows against him while he was on the ground. She also said she detected no smell of bear spray in the home despite reports that prompted the initial police call. Sanderson has reviewed security-camera audio of the incident and said officers should have repositioned her son or responded differently when he said he was having a heart attack and could not breathe.

Calls for changes to restraint practices

Sanderson wants RCMP to revisit how officers physically restrain individuals experiencing medical or mental health distress, arguing that verbal distress signals during an arrest should prompt an immediate change in approach. SIRT, for its part, said questions about police policy and protocols fall outside its mandate and should be directed to the RCMP, adding that broader prevention measures are better addressed through a coroner's inquest or Saskatchewan's chief coroner.

What remains unresolved

Sanderson said she has been unable to access coroner's records related to her son's death and is still seeking closure. No inquest has been confirmed as of this report. Moostoos is survived by three sisters and several half-siblings; he was his mother's only son.