SIRT: Man found in medical distress 5.5 hours after being lodged in cell by Melfort RCMP
More details have been released regarding an in-custody death at the Melfort RCMP detachment.
The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) was notified about the death on Tuesday, May 6. Shortly before 10 a.m. that morning, members of the Melfort RCMP responded to a disturbance at a residence in Melfort where they found a 44-year-old man who was acting erratically and had injured his hand. He was taken into custody under the Mental Health Service Act and transported to the detachment where he was lodged in a cell around 10:14 a.m. Just a few minutes later, the man was assessed by EMS and then transported to hospital. He was unrestrained during the transport in the ambulance. An RCMP member followed in their vehicle.
According to SIRT, the man arrived at the hospital around 10:27 a.m. While he was being examined, another disturbance occurred and he was taken back into custody by the RCMP, but during that process a physical altercation happened. Police said the man was handcuffed and taken back to the detachment where he was placed in a cell around 10:44 a.m.
The man remained in custody at the Melfort RCMP Detachment until approximately 5:10 p.m., when they noticed he had gone into medical distress. Officers started first aid and contacted EMS. SIRT said the man was moved into the cellblock hallway by RCMP members to allow for more room for first aid. Around 5:16 p.m., EMS had arrived and took over care before transporting him to hospital at 5:36 p.m. The man was treated at hospital, but despite resuscitation efforts, was pronounced deceased.
