Alberta police watchdog investigating in-custody death in Fort McMurray

Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating an in-custody death that happened in Fort McMurray last Friday.

In a news release on Tuesday, Wood Buffalo RCMP said officers were called to a local drop-in centre on Thursday, March 21 for complaints of a man “acting erratically” and “committing an indecent act.”

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said the man was cooperative with police during his arrest. He was put into a cell at the Wood Buffalo detachment cell block at about 8:20 p.m., according to ASIRT.

“The man was able to walk on his own and was verbally responsive with the police officers and the cell guard. He was not visibly injured or ill,” ASIRT said in a news release Wednesday.

The man went to sleep around 11:50 p.m., following a conversation with a police officer, ASIRT said.

“He was monitored by the cell guards and was noted to be breathing and occasionally moving about on the floor throughout the night,” read the ASIRT news release.

The next day, at around 5:28 a.m., the man was found unresponsive in cells, according to Mounties. Police said they started life-saving measures and called EMS. Paramedics continued to provide life-saving measures when they arrived but the man was declared dead.

Wood Buffalo RCMP said the director of law enforcement was immediately notified and ASIRT will investigate the incident.

ASIRT’s investigation will look at the conduct of the police during this incident, including the aspects of the interactions between the man and police.

Mounties also said they will conduct an internal review to “gather a full account of what took place during this incident.”