40-year-old inmate dies in custody at federal prison in B.C.

The Matsqui Institution, a medium-security federal men's prison on the grounds of the Pacific Institution, is seen in Abbotsford, B.C., on Thursday October 26, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

An inmate from Saskatchewan has died at a prison in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, the Correctional Service of Canada announced Friday.

Mike Andrew Arcand died Thursday while in the custody of the Pacific Institution in Abbotsford, the federal agency said in a statement.

Arcand was a little more than four-and-a-half years into a six-year sentence that began on May 24, 2019, according to the CSC. The sentence was for discharging a firearm with intent to prevent arrest or detention, as well as possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The correctional service did not provide any information about what caused Arcand's death, saying only that his next of kin has been notified.

"As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada will review the circumstances," the agency's statement reads.

"CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified."

According to the sentencing decision in his case, Arcand was "nearly 36 years old" when his sentence began, suggesting he was 40 years old when he died this week. 

The incident that led to his imprisonment unfolded in a Saskatoon parking lot on the afternoon of Sept. 27, 2017, according to the sentencing decision.

The decision indicates he was carrying a long, thin object that appeared to be a metal bar or pipe.

"Mr. Arcand caught the attention of a number of individuals in and around the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies [SIIT] building, because it looked as though he was trying to break into a car," the decision reads.

"The car, as it turned out, was his own. He had locked himself out, and had to smash the window, using the metal pipe, to get back in."

When police arrived, they attempted to engage Arcand in conversation to figure out what he was doing. He did not respond to their questions, according to the decision, which indicates he was under the influence of illegal drugs at the time of his arrest.

The first officer to arrive at the scene recognized the item in Arcand's hand as a "zip gun," an improvised firearm Arcand had constructed from metal tubes he found in his yard, the decision reads.

According to the decision, the officer called for backup, and a standoff ensued between Arcand and police. During the standoff, Arcand continued to ignore officers' inquiries and commands. He was shot twice with a Taser and twice with a bean bag gun, but none of those shots had the desired effect.

Instead, Arcand fired his weapon at an officer, narrowly missing him, and took off running, attempting to reload. Police pursued him, the decision reads, firing their weapons at him and eventually seriously injuring him.

The sentencing judge noted in the decision that it was "extremely fortunate" that no one, including Arcand, was killed in the incident.

In determining that six years was the appropriate sentence, the judge considered Arcand's Indigenous background and the impact of drug abuse, poverty and the legacy of residential schools on his upbringing.

The judge also considered a number of aggravating factors, including his failure to take any of the many opportunities he had to end the confrontation peacefully, as well as his "lengthy criminal record" and gang membership.

He was sentenced to eight years for the discharging a weapon with intent to prevent arrest or detention offence, with two years of credit for time spent in custody before sentencing. The judge also sentenced him to four years for the other offence, which were to be served concurrently, leaving the total amount of time to serve at six years.