An investigation by Saskatchewan’s police oversight agency has exonerated Melfort RCMP officers in relation to an in-custody death that occurred last year.
Officers from Melfort responded to reports of a man causing a disturbance at a residence on Bemister Avenue West in the city, located approximately 160 kilometers northeast of Saskatoon, shortly before 10 a.m. CST on May 6, 2025.
Upon arrival, they encountered a man who had allegedly broken a window at the property. Authorities indicated that the 44-year-old individual was behaving erratically and had an injured hand.
A report released on Monday by the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) of the province stated that the unnamed man was transported to the Melfort RCMP detachment just before 10:15 a.m. and placed in a holding cell.
According to police, paramedics evaluated him and he was sent to the hospital shortly thereafter. However, another disturbance occurred during his examination, leading officers to take him back into custody. The report highlighted that a physical altercation took place between the officers and the individual during this incident.
He was handcuffed, returned to the detachment, and placed in a cell again just before 10:45 a.m., where he was under the supervision of guard personnel, as indicated by the report.
At approximately 1:40 p.m., one of the guards heard the man yelling and requesting to see a doctor. The guard informed two officers about this request, which was noted and logged in the guard’s records.
According to SIRT’s findings, one of the officers remarked that the man had been “saying the same thing all morning” and did not provide a clear reason for his request, leading the officer to believe it could wait until the man was sober enough for a hospital visit.
Shortly after 5 p.m., the man entered medical distress and was later declared dead after attempts to save his life were unsuccessful.
The report noted that a review of the cell block footage revealed that the man did not exhibit any evident signs of medical distress until he knocked on the cell door shortly before requesting a doctor.
The video analysis showed that approximately 11 minutes passed between the man’s last visible movements and the moment he was discovered unresponsive.
An autopsy report indicated that the man succumbed to acute cocaine toxicity, with coronary artery disease being a contributing factor. The SIRT investigation concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that police use of force led to or contributed to the man’s death.
The Serious Incident Response Team in Saskatchewan is tasked with investigating serious injuries and fatalities, as well as allegations of sexual assault and other forms of violence, resulting from the actions or negligence of law enforcement officers, or incidents occurring while an individual is in police custody.
