Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating after a 44-year-old man was injured while being arrested in Calgary.
According to the Calgary Police Service, officers brought a man in on Wednesday, July 3 who was wanted on a number of outstanding warrants.
At about 6:50 p.m., the man was brought to the downtown arrest processing section on 7 Avenue S.E. and put in a holding cell with two other men.
Police said that two hours later, officers “observed behaviour that caused them to enter the cell.”
ASIRT said on July 10 that the man appeared to be attempting to hang himself with his shirt.
The man was then moved to an isolation cell. ASIRT said officers removed his personal clothing and gave him clothing considered “safe for the detention of potentially suicidal or dangerous persons.”
At 9 p.m., officers also had to go inside because they saw the man attempting to harm himself, at which point an altercation happened, police said.
The man sustained what police said were believed to be minor injuries and was taken to hospital where he was examined. He was treated for bumps, bruising and facial lacerations requiring stitches, according to ASIRT. He was then released back into police custody at about 4 a.m. on Thursday.
Hours later, at 8:30 a.m., the doctors called police back and said the man’s injuries were more serious than initially believed. ASIRT said the man sustained a minor brain bleed and that he needed to go back to the hospital.
The man was released from police custody, but police said he is still in hospital for “unrelated reasons.”
Because of the altercation and subsequent injuries, CPS notified ASIRT, which has taken over the investigation.
Because of that investigation, CPS said no more details will be released.