Digby RCMP members not responsible after man dies in their custody: SiRT

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog says members of the Digby RCMP are not criminally responsible for the death of a man who was in their custody earlier this year.

Digby RCMP responded to a call of an intoxicated man behind the mall on Warwick Street in Digby, N.S., around 3 p.m. on Feb. 10.

When officers arrived, police say they found a man lying in the snow. He was arrested for public intoxication and taken to the Digby RCMP detachment to be placed in cells.

“Officers decided to keep the (man) in cells until he became sober or a family member was able to take him,” reads the Serious Incident Response Team‘s (SiRT) report.

“Police were unable to locate anyone to take the (man) and he remained in cells overnight.”

During his stay in cells, SiRT says the man was showing signs of intoxication, including being unsteady on his feet and vomiting. The agency says officers also checked in on the man many times and saw him moving and breathing throughout the night.

Around 7 a.m. the next morning, SiRT says the man hit his head while using the toilet in cells. Shortly after, he became unresponsive and appeared to be in medical distress.

Paramedics were called to provide care to the man before he was taken to hospital where he later died.

The RCMP contacted SiRT on Feb. 11, prompting the agency to start an investigation immediately.

SiRT says an autopsy determined the man died of natural causes, including an upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage cause by chronic ethanol use.

“After a careful review of the evidence and the law, I have determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence was committed in relation to the (man‘s) tragic death,” reads SiRT’s report.

“This was an unfortunate set of circumstances and SiRT sends its condolences to the family.”

SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page