A jail guard directly involved in restraining Soleiman Faqiri on the day of his death says he was trained that handcuffing a person face down behind their back could risk cutting off their air supply, but that policies were often followed only when “convenient.”
Dave Surowiec told jurors he didn’t notice any policies being breached while Faqiri was restrained at the Central East Correctional Centre, but later learned an internal investigation found guards carried out approximately 60 breaches that day. That report from the Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations Office has not yet been made public.
“In my experience, policy and procedures are great things
