Quebec’s bureau of independent investigations (BEI) has dispatched a team of 15 investigators to Montreal following the death of a 23-year-old man in police custody.
The BEI said preliminary reports indicate the victim, who was wanted on a warrant, was arrested by Montreal police at 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, at around 7:30 a.m., he was transferred to the Montreal municipal courthouse where he was set to appear later in the day.
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The BEI said the man was placed in a cell with around 10 other people to await his court appearance.
Officers tasked with watching the detainees noticed the man on the ground, seemingly unconscious, at around 8:55 a.m.
He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later.
The BEI now has to determine whether those reports are accurate.
As per protocol, the BEI investigates whenever a civilian is injured or killed during a police intervention.