In-custody death results in Prince Albert police officer charged

An in-custody death in Prince Albert, Sask., has resulted in a 21-year member of Prince Albert Police Service being charged and relieved from duty.

Saul Laliberte, 33, died on Nov. 7, 2021 while in the detention facility and his death was investigated by the Saskatoon Police Service.

The Crown recommended charges of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life as a result of the investigation, according to a release from Prince Albert police.

A court date has been set for July 25.

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In a previous interview with Global News shortly after Laliberte’s death, his family described him as kind and loving.

“He loved his family very much,” said his mother, Amelia Bloomfield. “He was a hard worker (and) he took good care of us. He made sure his family came first.”

Police could not determine the cause of his death but Bloomfield told Global Regina that her son died of an overdose of prescribed medication.

“It turns out at least most of this medication (was) in his system,” she said. “That’s the toxicology report (shown). It was a lethal amount of medication in his system.”

Bloomfield said her son called her prior to turning himself in to police as he had outstanding warrants. He informed her that he was going to consume medication and it worried her. She tried reaching out to him only to find out that he turned himself into the police.

Regarding the officer charged, PAPS interim police chief Patrick Nogier said the police want to maintain public trust and that they are taking this matter seriously.

“We want to assure the public that we take every matter seriously, and while today’s announcement may raise concerns, we are committed to upholding the integrity of the court process. It is important for us to respect this process while simultaneously supporting our members and thoroughly reviewing our internal policies and protocols,” read Nogier’s statement.

“While the Criminal Code charges are awaiting completion through the judicial process, the decision to relieve from duty was made with the aim of maintaining public trust. The Prince Albert Police Service places great importance on public confidence and continually strives to uphold the trust citizens of Prince Albert have placed in our officers.

“We acknowledge our accountability to the law, as well as the standards and expectations of our profession. We are dedicated to transparency, fairness, and justice. We will continue to work diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of our community while maintaining the highest level of professionalism.”