SASKATOON – The death of a 38-year-old man believed to be intoxicated Friday afternoon has resulted in many calling for changes to health services available for people in police custody. Michael Ryan was found unresponsive three hours after being arrested and charged with breach of court conditions and outstanding warrants.
Ryan was reportedly running into oncoming traffic at 22nd Street and Avenue P.
While the Saskatoon Police Service does have paramedics at the detention unit overnight, no such health care professionals are on-site during the day.
After an inquest into the death of 19-year-old Brandon Daniels, who died in Saskatoon police custody in 2010, a jury recommended a paramedic presence 24 hours a day.
The Saskatoon Fire Department and MD Ambulance were called in after Ryan was found unresponsive in his cell.
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Over the weekend, Saskatoon Police Service Chief Clive Weighill said officers are working with Ryan’s family.
“The police cannot continue to be the first line of response in our city for mental health and addictions,” Weighill said in a statement.
“I have been asking since I became Chief of Police, for wider ranging mental health services and an addictions centre in Saskatoon. Once again by default these issues are left to be grappled with by the police,” he added.
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Arlene Kent-Wilkinson is an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan, focusing on mental health and addictions.
“You need to have health care professionals to not only do the assessments, but to be really, really watching that they’re not harming themselves in that time,” Kent-Wilkinson said.
Premier Brad Wall said the Government of Saskatchewan has “significantly increased resources” in the Ministry of Social Services and the Saskatoon Health Region.
“People can make the case there could always be more. I’m not going to argue that,” Wall said.
A change in detention unit paramedic staffing hours would have to be an agreement reached between the health region and Saskatoon police, according to Kathy Willerth, director of mental health and addictions with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.
“We’re certainly interested in not only talking about expanding services, but making the best use of services that are available now,” Willerth said.
There are 113 drug and alcohol beds available in Saskatoon, including 37 detox beds.
Police are expected to release more details about Ryan’s death following an autopsy.