THUNDER BAY - The province’s police watchdog has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe officers contributed to a man’s death after he fell into acute medical distress following his arrest in February.
In a report released Thursday, Oct. 15, the Special Investigations Unit said two officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing. The report said a 29-year-old man was admitted to hospital following his arrest by Thunder Bay police on Feb. 28. On March 10, the man passed away in hospital.
The SIU had identified two officers who had custody of the man in the hospital when he was rushed to the intensive care unit. These officers were identified as the subject officers for the purpose of the investigation.
“The Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the officers committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s death,” the report said.
A pathologist at the autopsy attributed the man's death to complications of viral (H1N1) community-acquired pneumonia.
