Prince George RCMP officers have been cleared by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIOBC) in relation to a November 2024 incident where a man died following a cardiac arrest while in a jail cell. On Nov. 4, 2024, a man left his residence and did not return. A witness, a woman who also lived in the home, reported the man missing two days before he disappeared. However, a police report on Nov. 5 stated that the man came to the Prince George RCMP detachment around 12:30 p.m. and asked to be taken into custody. "He was described as exhibiting symptoms of paranoia, saying that he was in danger from people chasing him," stated the IIO report. "The [man] was escorted by police to the hospital, where a doctor certified him under the Mental Health Act (MHA). It appears, however, that the [man] was not admitted to a ward and was left without supervision. At some point, he left the hospital of his own accord." Later that day, the man called the RCMP detachment from a restaurant, stating again that he was being followed and people were "after him and trying to get him." An officer picked up the man and took him to a shelter because he said he would feel better sleeping. However, a third report was made that same day when staff from a seniors' centre called the RCMP after the man refused to leave, again stating people were after him. This time, he was arrested for mischief and taken to police cells to prevent any continuation. The man was released at 8 a.m. on Nov. 6 and was given a jacket and a cup of coffee before leaving, according to a detention guard. Six and a half hours later, the RCMP were once again notified about the man. An officer and a mental health nurse were partnered and on patrol when they found the man "staggering' in the middle of a busy street, according to the report. The nurse stated that the officer stopped the vehicle and approached the man, asking him where he lived and if he needed a ride home. However, the man wasn't able to provide any information. Additionally, the officer had to hold the man's arm to help him walk off the highway. The man has a strong liquor odour coming from him, resulting in the officer apprehending him for public intoxication and transporting him to a jail cell. However, just as the trio was able to leave, a taxi driver flagged down the police vehicle. The taxi driver told the IIO that the man gave him $200 and asked him to drive around Prince George for a couple of hours. During the ride, the taxi driver noticed the man drinking liquor and taking "little yellow pills," becoming more and more intoxicated. At one point, as they were stopped, the man got more money and bought more liquor. Eventually, the man got out of the cab and just started wandering. The taxi driver phoned his dispatcher, asking what to do as the man was very intoxicated by this point. That's when the driver noticed the police vehicle and waved it down. In the exchange, the taxi driver gave the officer the man's belongings he had left in the cab. According to the mental health nurse at the scene, who had experience working in an adult detox unit, the man was intoxicated but did not appear in medical distress. On the ride to the station, the man appeared "uppity" and was "kicking the back of the seats." Shortly after arriving at the detachment, the nurse saw several officers rush to the holding cells, where she saw the two officers, including the one she had attended the scene with, holding the man by his arms, apparently picking him up. The detention guard, who was still on shift, told the IIO the man was sitting on a bench in the cells booking area and not cooperating with police. The guard added she saw the first officer "take a swing" at the man while the second officer was controlling him. B.C.'s Police Watchdog obtained detachment video footage from the interaction between the man and the officer. The footage showed two officers attempting to search the man, who was slumping forward. At one point, the man pushes the officer with both arms. In response, the two officers pulled the man off the bench, with the second officer delivering "four blows" to the man's back before officers were able to control and handcuff him. The guard told IIO the man was taken to a cell, and the second officer conducted a cell check shortly afterwards. Around 12 minutes later, the guard walked to the cell, where the man was now moving and snoring, and there was a small amount of blood on the cell's floor from the man's toe. As part of her job, the guard explained to the IIO that when detainees are not moving or making noise, she observes for signs of breathing. On a second check, the guard saw no movement from the man, even after she banged on the cell door. She grabbed the second officer, who tended to the man in the cell. Officers performed first aid and summoned assistance from paramedics, who quickly arrived at the detachment. The man was taken to hospital, where it was discovered he suffered cardiac arrest that led to massive brain injury through oxygen deprivation. He did not regain consciousness and died in hospital five days later, on Nov. 11, 2024. The autopsy report stated the cause of death as low oxygen-induced brain damage, secondary to a mixed substance toxicity (ethanol and gabapentin). "These substances likely resulted in considerable respiratory depression and subsequent hypoxemia. The seizure disorder and cardiac disease (cardiomegaly and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy) can be considered contributing factors, as both of these would have increased the risk of sudden death, especially in the setting of a mixed substance toxicity." The man didn't suffer any injuries from the use of force. Additionally, the toxicology report noted a very high blood alcohol concentration and the presence of Gabapentin at a concentration exceeding a typical therapeutic range. "A review of objective video evidence, however, shows that the [man] was acting in a resistant and assaultive manner at the time," stated IIO chief civilian director Jessica Berglund. "The low level of force used in response was necessary to control him and was not excessive in the circumstances. As noted above, there is no evidence to connect any use of force to the [man]'s death." There is also no evidence that the officer failed in the duty of care while the man was in the cell.
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