A Saskatchewan investigation has cleared local RCMP officers of any wrongdoing in the July 2023 in-custody death of a 34-year-old male, concluding that the individual's death was from self-administered illegal drugs.
Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) released its comprehensive report detailing the circumstances surrounding the incident at the Pelican Narrows RCMP Detachment.
According to the report, RCMP officers responded to a 911 hang-up call in the early morning hours of July 15, 2023, and found a male wanted for break and enter and weapons offences.
After a routine arrest and search, the individual was detained at the local detachment.
Surveillance footage revealed the detainee retrieving and self-administering drugs while in custody.
The following afternoon, at 2:35 pm CST on July 16, 2023, the man suddenly went into medical distress.
Emergency Medical Services were immediately called.
Despite quick intervention with NARCAN, the detainee was pronounced deceased at the Pelican Narrows Medical Centre at 3:27 pm CST.
An autopsy confirmed combined drug toxicity involving cocaine and methamphetamine as the definitive cause of death.
Investigators later recovered a bag of cocaine from a nearby cell and substantiated the toxicology findings.
"The video evidence demonstrated no excessive force or negligence by the officers," said the SIRT report.
"Medical response protocols were appropriately followed."
The investigation concluded that police conduct was professional and no criminal charges would be pursued.
The case has been closed without referral to the provincial Attorney General, with investigators emphasizing the detainee's personal actions as the primary factor in his death.