Thunder Bay Police Service Media Release
Constable Sherry Heyder has plead guilty to and been convicted of Discreditable Conduct under the Police Services Act. The charge related to the in custody death of a 44 year old man on August 3, 2014.
The man had been held in custody after being arrested for public intoxication on the evening of August 2, 2014. Constable Heyder was the jailer at the time of the incident.
The Special Investigations Unit of the province had investigated the man's death and concluded that there were no grounds to lay criminal charges against any member of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
The TBPS internal investigation into this incident determined that Constable Heyder failed to conduct periodic physical inspections on the prisoners in accordance with the TBPS's Care and Handling of Prisoners policy.
Constable Heyder was subsequently charged under the Police Services Act after an internal investigation into her conduct as jailer during the time of the custody.
Constable Heyder, a 22 year member of the Thunder Bay Police Service, remains on active duty. She has been demoted from a First Class Constable to a Second Class Constable for a period of 6 months commencing September 11, 2015.
