Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers are facing criminal charges in connection with the death of a man while in police custody in Yellowknife last year. The N.W.T. RCMP announced in a press release that the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit completed an investigation into the officers’ actions, resulting in their arrest and charges of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.
The officers, who remain unnamed in the RCMP release but identified as Nicholas Ash, 32, and Brent Young, also 32, in court documents obtained by CBC News, will be immediately suspended from duty. The investigation was initiated following the death of 56-year-old Lawrence Blackduck in an RCMP vehicle in downtown Yellowknife on March 12, 2025.
According to the RCMP, Blackduck was apprehended after a disturbance report at a business on 50th Street. While in police custody, he was left unattended in the vehicle as the officers gathered more information at the scene. Upon their return, they found Blackduck unresponsive, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, leading to his death at the scene.
An external investigation by Alberta RCMP was requested by N.W.T. RCMP, a standard procedure in in-custody death cases. Ash and Young are scheduled to appear in N.W.T. Territorial Court on Nov. 24. Chief Superintendent Dyson Smith expressed condolences to Blackduck’s family and friends, stating that the police force is deeply saddened by the incident, acknowledging the impact on public trust.
Following the incident, the N.W.T. RCMP initiated an internal review to address any shortcomings in policies, training, or procedures. Changes have been implemented in police training related to in-vehicle detentions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
