ManitobaManitoba’s police watchdog is not recommending charges in connection to the death of a man who became unresponsive in a Winnipeg police cell after being arrested at an encampment.Man who became unresponsive in cell died from severe coronary atherosclerosis, autopsy foundCBC News · Posted: Sep 02, 2025 4:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoA man who was arrested at a Winnipeg encampment in September last year became unresponsive at a cell in the police headquarters before he died in hospital. Manitoba’s police watchdog is not recommending any charges in connection to the in-custody death. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)Manitoba’s police watchdog is not recommending charges in connection to the death of a man who became unresponsive in a Winnipeg police cell after being arrested at an encampment.On Sept. 15, 2024, police notified the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) — which investigates all serious matters involving police — after the man died in hospital while in custody.Officers said they arrested the man earlier that day at an encampment near King Edward Street for an outstanding warrant after police were dispatched for a firearm investigation.Three officers who were at the encampment who were interviewed by the IIU recalled there was no need to handcuff the man because he was compliant, polite and friendly, according to the IIU’s report, published on Tuesday.One officer said there were about 10 people at the encampment and when the officer asked out loud if anyone had an outstanding warrant, the man put his hand up immediately and co-operated with police, the officer told the IIU.The officer who processed his name through the system remembers she had a “very pleasant conversation” with him, while another officer told the IIU he gave the man candy because he posed no threat. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba investigates serious matters involving police. (Trevor Brine/CBC)According to the IIU report, once the man had his rights read to him and a cursory search was done, he was taken to the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters.The man had told Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service during an assessment that he had hypertension but was not taking his medication. He also said he had been drinking during the day before he was arrested but he denied drug use, the IIU report said. Winnipeg police told investigators that the man was cleared by the paramedics before being logged into a cell with another civilian, who recalled seeing the man intoxicated and sleeping beside him.A witness who declined to speak with the IIU but provided a prepared statement said he conducted three safety checks on the man at 15-minutes intervals while he was in the cell.During the three checks, the man was breathing and speaking back, but when the witness returned for a fourth one, he saw the man face down on the floor. The witness called out to the man but didn’t get a reply. He attempted to shake him and apply pressure to stir him but nothing happened, according to the witness statement.The witness then checked for a pulse but he didn’t find one. With the man unresponsive, an onsite paramedic provided first aid, including CPR and shocks, according to witness statements shared with the IIU.Police told the IIU that the man was taken to the St. Boniface Hospital where he was pronounced dead. According to an autopsy, the man died from severe coronary atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is when the arteries that bring blood to the heart harden from a buildup of plaque. The autopsy also identified the man was intoxicated with methamphetamine, a significant condition contributing to the death but not causally related.The IIU concluded it will not recommend any charges in the man’s death, closing the investigation.
No charges for in-custody death of man arrested at Winnipeg encampment: police watchdog
