An investigation has determined that a man's medical stress while in the custody of Lethbridge Police was not the result of the actions of the attending officers. (Image: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Case closed on investigation into Lethbridge Police actions during medical distress incident

Nov 9, 2022 | 1:07 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has completed its investigation into an incident where a suspect in the custody of the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) endured a medical crisis.

According to a report by ASIRT Executive Director Michael Ewenson, the matter in question occurred on May 29, 2019, after two LPS officers located a person who was wanted in connection to an assault on a toddler from the previous day.

According to the report, the officers noted that the suspect was asleep in a vehicle. They woke him up and informed him that he was under arrest for aggravated assault. While the man was being handcuffed, he banged his head on the outside of the vehicle.

The investigation determined that after being placed in the police vehicle, the man banged his head on the plexiglass barrier three times, so officers put the man in a seatbelt to stop him from hitting his head.

A few moments later, the suspect managed to get out of the seatbelt and laid down in the back seat. At this point, the officers noticed that his nose was bleeding and he had laboured breathing.

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While waiting for an ambulance to arrive, the police officers removed the man from the vehicle and placed him on the ground. They performed chest compressions and administered Naloxone in case he was having a drug overdose.

The man was placed into an ambulance and had a seizure. He then had a second seizure at Chinook Regional Hospital.

According to the ASIRT investigation, the man told medical staff that he has a history of seizures and mental health issues, and admitted to taking methamphetamine and cannabis prior to the arrival of police.

Eweson concludes his report by stating that the only physical contact made with the man by the attending police officers involved placing him under arrest, putting a seatbelt on him, and performing first aid.

“Whatever the reason for AP’s [affected person’s] medical episode, there is no evidence to suggest that it arose from anything done by any officer with LPS,” says Eweson.

Eweson says he is satisfied that there was no wrongdoing on the part of the police officers and closed the file.

The full report from ASIRT can be found on the Alberta Government website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now