An Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigation has concluded that the 2017 death of a man in RCMP custody in Fort McMurray, Alta., was not the police’s fault.
On May 11, 2017, RCMP searched a Fort McMurray residence as part of a drug trafficking investigation, according to ASIRT.
There, they found a 32-year-old man — whose name was never released — behind a suite’s locked door, and after negotiations, the man voluntarily emerged, wearing only underwear.
In the unit, police found “numerous items consistent with drug trafficking” and arrested him.
“Officers located clothing for him and assisted him in dressing as he was handcuffed,” ASIRT said in a news release Tuesday.
RCMP took the man to the Wood Buffalo South Policing Facility. Arresting officers said he appeared intoxicated but there weren’t any medical concerns based on his presentation and behaviour. The man was searched, provided access to a phone and put in a holding cell, according to a news release from the province.
CCTV video captured his “unremarkable” time in a cell save for two occasions when his condition or behaviour raised concerns with civilian guards, ASIRT said.
“On those occasions, RCMP officers immediately responded to the man’s cell to check on his well-being,” a news release read.
During one incident, the man had respiratory issues but he refused EMS treatment and said he had a cold.
A strip search was conducted but did not reveal anything illegal on him, according to ASIRT.
On May 13, 2017 at around 2:45 a.m., the man asked to call his lawyer and was taken to the phone room where he went into medical distress.
ASIRT said officers immediately responded, contacted EMS, and provided first aid. Paramedics arrived in minutes and took the man to hospital where he died about two hours later, ASIRT said.
Autopsy results determined he died from cocaine and fentanyl toxicity. A small, torn bag consistent with drug packaging was found in the man’s stomach during the autopsy, ASIRT said.
Evidence including observations from numerous witnesses, CCTV footage analysis, autopsy results and post-mortem toxicology analysis painted what ASIRT called a “complete picture of what was a medical death.”
“While it is impossible to determine with absolute certainty, based on the evidence, it is a reasonable inference the man used the brief period of advance awareness of his forthcoming arrest to conceal drugs within his body that later led to him going into medical distress and ultimately resulted in his death,” ASIRT said.
No charges will be laid, the police watchdog said.
“While the man’s death is unquestionably tragic, the actions of the officers who dealt with him demonstrated concern for his well-being and responsiveness to his medical needs,” ASIRT’s news release read.
“The care and supervision provided to the man was reasonable and demonstrates genuine concern for his safety. There are no reasonable grounds to believe the conduct of any officer would constitute a criminal offence.”