‘All the evidence supports that while in custody, the man was cared for in a proper fashion,’ said ASIRT
On Oct. 18, Calgary police were called to a “disturbance” at a fast-food restaurant located at 5222 130th Ave. S.E. where the responding officer “observed a male acting erratically,” read an Oct. 25 release from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).
The officer exited his vehicle, and the man began to approach him while shouting about already being told he was free to go by another officer, said ASIRT.
“Following a brief struggle, handcuffing was completed and the man was secured in custody,” said ASIRT, while also noting a pat-down search of the man was done, with nothing of concern being found.
The man was also examined by EMS at the scene and cleared medically.
A secondary pat-down search was completed on the man after he arrived at the CPS Arrest Processing Section (APS).
“During this search, a small baggie with a green substance believed to be heroin or fentanyl was located,” said ASIRT.
The police watchdog also says the man had criminal warrants for his arrest, including ones for possession of drugs. He was also subject to a strip search, during which nothing further was found.
While speaking with an APS paramedic, the man “advised that he had used methamphetamine and fentanyl within the past six hours.”
Nothing of concern was noted by the paramedic, and the man was placed in a cell around 8:30 a.m.
An ASIRT review of the cell logs was able to confirm that safety checks were conducted on the man at “regular intervals in compliance with CPS policy.”
The cells use a key card system, which requires the monitoring person to swipe a pad outside of them, according to ASIRT.
Reviewing CCTV footage of the cell, ASIRT detailed several observations before the man died.
Around 3:44 p.m. the man sat on the toilet and was noted reaching between his legs, appearing to retrieve something, and immediately moving his hand to his mouth.
“He then flushes the toilet and moves from the toilet to lay down on the bench.”
At 4:33 p.m. the man appeared to have problems breathing as his throat was “moving up and down in exaggerated movements.”
Two minutes later, the man appeared to go unconscious.
At 4:36 p.m. two CPS officers entered the cell, performing a sternum rub (to test an unconscious person’s responsiveness). The man was unresponsive.
“The man is moved to the ground, further sternum rubs are given, again with no response observed,” said ASIRT. “The APS medic enters the cell, and he too gets no response from the man. The medic does a pulse check, and then leaves the cell.”
At 4:37 p.m. a CPS officer, who was previously a paramedic, began CPR. Two minutes later, the APS medic returned with medical gear.
“An automated external defibrillator (was) applied, and the man (was) given oxygen.”
EMS arrived on the scene at 4:52 p.m. and continued medical treatment of the man, but at 5:31 p.m. EMS stopped treatment and the man was pronounced deceased.
An Oct. 21 autopsy of the man found no obvious cause of death and “the medical examiner is awaiting further toxicology and other information” to determine the cause of death.
The police watchdog said, “There is no evidence that any officer caused or contributed to his death. Further, all the evidence supports that while in custody, the man was cared for in a proper fashion.”