A 38-year-old man who was arrested by Edmonton police Saturday was found unresponsive in the back of the patrol wagon, revived and is now in critical condition in hospital.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the situation.
Officers were first called at 11:35 p.m. on Saturday to reports of a disturbance at a commercial property near 117 Street and Kingsway.
When they got there, the suspect was gone. They were called back at 4:40 a.m. Sunday to reports the suspect had returned and was causing a disturbance. ASIRT said the incident happened at the Chateau Louis Hotel.
The man was arrested — handcuffed and placed in the back of the patrol wagon, EPS said in a news release Monday. He was taken to the Detainee Management Unit (DMU) at EPS Headquarters. When officers arrived at the underground garage and opened the back door of the vehicle, they found the suspect “unresponsive and not breathing.”
“A paramedic within the DMU was immediately notified and commenced life-saving measures on the suspect until EMS personnel arrived. Paramedics were able to establish a pulse with the male while transporting him to hospital, where he remains in critical condition today,” EPS said Monday.
ASIRT has been directed to lead the investigation into the incident and will focus on the conduct of police during this incident, including the circumstances surrounding the man’s arrest and transport, to determine whether police conduct may have caused or contributed to the man’s medical distress.
ASIRT said Friday the man remains in hospital.