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Montreal Gazette
11-07-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Man charged with manslaughter in 2022 prison death of Nicous D'Andre Spring
By A man was arrested and charged with manslaughter Thursday in connection to the death of Nicous D'Andre Spring, the 21-year-old man who died in December 2022 following injuries at Montreal's Bordeaux jail. Spring was illegally detained at the time of his death on Dec. 24, 2022. Guards placed Spring in a spit hood — a device intended to stop a person from spitting — before pepper-spraying him, according to the union representing the jail guards. He was later sent to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. Sébastien Bossé, 54, is accused in Spring's death. He was released after appearing at the Montreal courthouse Thursday and is set to return to court at a later date. The Sûreté du Québec, which made the arrest, isn't offering any information about Bossé, but La Presse has reported that he was a guard at Bordeaux jail. In the days after Spring's death, the Public Security Ministry said a manager at the jail had been 'relieved of his duties,' while declining to share his name. The jail had been required to release Spring on Dec. 23, 2022, after a virtual court appearance that day, but instead kept him behind bars illegally. The 21-year-old Black man's death prompted accusations of systemic racism, including from his family and the Red Coalition, a Montreal-based human rights advocacy group. 'What happened to Nicous was not an isolated incident,' the Red Coalition said in a statement released Friday. 'It was the result of systemic negligence, poor oversight and a lack of humanity within a system that too often views Black lives as disposable. An arrest alone does not fix that.' Spring's sister, Sarafina Dennie, reacted to the news on Facebook, calling for justice for her brother. 'They took my little brother's life inside a prison cell — somewhere he never should've been,' she wrote. With files from The Canadian Press.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Man charged after 21-year-old killed in Quebec jail
Protestors gathered in downtown Montreal on Feb. 10, 2023 to demand justice for Nicous D'Andre Spring, a Black man who died while illegally detained at a Montreal jail in December 2022. (CTV News) Sébastien Bossé, 54, has been charged with involuntary homicide in connection with the 2022 death of Nicous D'André Spring. The 21-year-old was severely injured on Christmas Eve when correctional officers at the Bordeaux jail put him in a spit hood after an altercation with another inmate. They then pepper-sprayed him twice while still wearing the head covering. Spring was rushed to hospital and died of his injuries the next day. After appearing at the Montreal courthouse on Thursday, Bossé was released and is expected to appear in court at a later date. Spring's family, the Red Coalition and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association had demanded an inquiry into systemic racism in the provincial detention system after his death. Quebec's chief coroner also ordered a public inquiry to provide answers to the many unanswered questions the family had around Spring's death. Quebec's public safety ministry confirmed in 2023 that Spring had been unlawfully detained as he was supposed to be released from custody on Dec. 23. He was still in jail on the day of the Dec. 24 intervention, despite a judge authorizing his release. Montreal police arrested Spring on Dec. 20, 2023, on charges of assaulting a peace officer, criminal harassment and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was also facing two counts of breach of a condition of release. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Man arrested in connection with 21-year-old killed in Quebec jail
Protestors gathered in downtown Montreal on Feb. 10, 2023 to demand justice for Nicous D'Andre Spring, a Black man who died while illegally detained at a Montreal jail in December 2022. (CTV News) Quebec provincial police (SQ) say they arrested a 54-year-old man in connection with the 2023 death of Nicous D'André Spring. The 21-year-old was severely injured on Christmas Eve when correctional officers at the Bordeaux jail put him in a spit hood after an altercation with another inmate. They then pepper sprayed him twice while still wearing the head covering. Spring was rushed to hospital and died of his injuries the next day. The 54-year-old was charged with involuntary homicide at the Montreal courthouse on Thursday. He was released and is expected to appear in court at a later date. CTV News has yet to confirm his identity. Spring's family, the Red Coalition and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association had demanded an inquiry into systemic racism in the provincial detention system after his death. Quebec's chief coroner also ordered a public inquiry to provide answers to the many unanswered questions the family had around Spring's death. Quebec's public safety ministry confirmed in 2023 that Spring had been unlawfully detained as he was supposed to be released from custody on Dec. 23. He was still in jail on the day of the Dec. 24 intervention, despite a judge authorizing his release. Montreal police arrested Spring on Dec. 20, 2023 on charges of assaulting a peace officer, criminal harassment and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was also facing two counts of breach of a condition of release. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
