Violent Kamloops prisoner sues province for delays in medical care

A Kamloops man in prison for, among other things, carving the word "rat" into a man's chest is suing, alleging he failed to get a proper medical diagnosis for a parasite he says he had for two years. 

Rick Dennis said in his lawsuit against the province of B.C. and the Attorney General of Canada that he told Kamloops prison staff he may have "ingested some kind of bug" in fall 2019, while held in segregation.

He said his medical condition and pain went undiagnosed until the "summer or fall" of 2021, according his claim.

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Dennis said he suffered for an unnecessary amount of time, damaging his bowels. He repeatedly found blood in his stool while incarcerated.

He was held first at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre until he was moved to a federal penitentiary in Agassiz.

"While in federal custody…, (Dennis) continued to complain of medical concerns and a feeling he was being bitten on the inside," the claim reads.

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After filing "repeated" requests for medical attention, he was finally diagnosed in 2021 with the parasite.

He recovered quickly after "straightforward" medical treatment, according to the claim.

Dennis was convicted in 2020 for aggravated assault for his role in mutilating a witness.

Dennis was one of two men found to be responsible for carving the word "rat" into a man's chest in 2018.

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The victim, Matthew Carstairs, was targetted for cooperating with police as RCMP investigated a 2017 shooting.

“Mr. Carstairs was regarded as a rat or a snitch and would be marked as such,” Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley said when the pair were convicted. “His assailants took turns delivering punishments.”

Dennis, represented by Kamloops lawyer Daniel McNamee, is seeking damages for healthcare costs pain and suffering, adding that the duty of care laid with the government while he was held in prison.

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