Manitoba’s police watchdog has concluded no charges will be laid against two Winnipeg police cadets after a man died shortly after his arrest earlier this year.
The 28-year-old man was picked up outside of an apartment block on Carlton Street on February 22, 2017, where he was reportedly causing a disturbance and accosting members of the public.
Cadets took the intoxicated man to the Main Street Project and placed him in a cell. A routine check later found him to be unconscious.
He was rushed to St. Boniface Hospital and remained unresponsive until his death on February 24.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has determined the cadets’ contact with the man did not contribute to his death. An interview with 13 civilian witnesses and video surveillance from the Main Street Project also found no incidence of struggle or discomfort.
The pathologist’s report revealed the main cause of death was the combined sedating effects of ethyl alcohol and alprazolam, as well as a sub therapeutic level of zopiclone. Cardiomegaly (an enlarged heart) was also determined to be a contributing factor.
The autopsy report showed the position of the man’s head while lying on the floor and resting his neck against the wall with his chin depressed into his chest, may have led to positional asphyxia.
