Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating the death of a 59-year-old man who went into medical distress while in police custody and passed away in hospital a week later.
According to Lethbridge Police Service officials, officers responded to a complaint of an unwanted man at a southside home on March 24th. When police arrived on scene they located a 59-year-old man, who is alleged to have been agitated and acting erratically, he was arrested for mischief. Police reportedly had to physically restrain the man before they could take him into custody. According to officials, police put the man into the police cruiser, where he is said to have become unresponsive.
A statement from police reads, “He was immediately removed from the vehicle and EMS attended, transporting him to Chinook Regional Hospital where he was admitted. The male later died in hospital on April 2.”
LPS notified the Director of Law Enforcement following the March 24th incident following the Alberta Police Act and provided a second notification following the man’s death.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the circumstances surrounding the 59-year-old’s death. According to officials, ASIRT investigators are in Lethbridge and the investigation is ongoing.
