31-year-old woman dies in holding cell after day-long hospital stay: police

An investigation is underway after a 31-year-old woman died in police custody in Lethbridge on Friday.

The woman was arrested by Lethbridge police around 11:30 p.m. in relation to an aggravated assault. Police said she was “highly impaired by unknown substances” at the time of her arrest.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

She was taken to Chinook Regional Hospital after EMS conducted a medical assessment. She stayed in hospital for most of Saturday until she was released back to police custody, states a news release from police Sunday.

“Upon returning to the police station, she was placed in a holding cell where she was later found unresponsive,” police said. “All life-saving measures by police and EMS were unsuccessful and the woman was pronounced deceased.”

The investigation is being conducted by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, which arrived in Lethbridge Saturday to begin the investigation.