An in-custody death at Turtleford’s RCMP detachment will be investigated by the province’s police watchdog. On Wednesday, police executed a warrant at a home on Thunderchild First Nation as part of an ongoing investigation. A 37-year-old man was taken into custody, and transported to the Turtleford Detachment cells at about 1:30 p.m. The man went into medical distress at around 3:00 p.m. RCMP officers provided medical assistance, and medical professionals were called in to help. The man was later declared dead at the scene. His family has been notified. Since the man was in police custody when he died, his death will be investigated by the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT). SIRT is an independent, civilian-led unit responsible for investigating serious incidents involving police, including in-custody deaths or serious injuries. Turtleford is located about 230 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
