Investigators say Steinbach RCMP not responsible for man's death

Manitoba's police watchdog has concluded that RCMP officers were not responsible for a man's death in Steinbach last fall.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) has concluded its investigation into the circumstances surrounding a medical incident and the subsequent death of an adult male in October. 

On October 6th, RCMP notified the IIU of an incident. Police say that on October 4th at approximately 6:30 pm, officers located an adult male lying on the ground in an intoxicated state and took him into custody. He was released from custody in a sober state at around 5:30 am on October 5th.

Then, 90 minutes later, RCMP responded to a call from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that a male had been located on Penfeld Drive in Steinbach, suffering from a possible overdose. The male was transported to Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach for treatment and was later transferred to Grace Hospital in Winnipeg. The male was pronounced dead on October 11th.

The civilian director determined that it was in the public interest for an independent investigation to be conducted.

Investigators interviewed a civilian witness, reviewed the police records regarding the man's detention, and received his medical records including the medical examiner's investigator's report.

The civilian director has decided that the officers involved were not responsible, nor did they contribute to the man's death. 

As a result, the IIU says the investigation is complete and the matter is now closed.