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Coroner's inquest hears from doctor who saw Soleiman Faqiri

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A coroner's inquest into the death of a mentally ill man at an Ontario jail is hearing from the doctor who examined him at the facility.

Dr. Brent MacMillan says he could see that Soleiman Faqiri was "quite sick" and experiencing delusions when he saw him on Dec. 9, 2016, but felt it would not be in Faqiri's best interest to send him to hospital.

MacMillan says he was concerned that "trying to corral a man who's frightened and vulnerable" to take him to hospital would "instigate a reaction" that could cause him physical or mental harm.

He says the hospital also had a history of sending inmates back to the jail after administering medication, rather than admitting them, so he felt the risks outweighed the benefits.

The doctor says his priority was to get Faqiri the medication he needed, regardless of where that happened, and he believed Faqiri would see a psychiatrist soon.

Faqiri died after a violent struggle with corrections officers on Dec. 15, 2016.

The inquest has heard he was arrested in early December 2016 after allegedly stabbing a neighbour while experiencing a mental-health crisis.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2023.

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