BC’s police watchdog has cleared Central Saanich police officers after a suspect suffered a cardiac arrest and subsequent brain injury while in a holding cell.
The incident began on August 7th at around 8:40 a.m., when the suspect was arrested after he allegedly assaulted his wife.
Paramedics assessed him, and because of his health history, suggested he be taken to hospital for treatment, however, he declined, a report from the Independent Investigations Office (IIOBC) said.
In a news release, the IIOBC Chief Civilian Director Ron MacDonald said the suspect was transported to jail after a physician cleared him of being placed in a cell.
The man was released about six hours later, at around 4:20 p.m. and was placed on conditions to not have any contact with his wife and to stay away from the home.
“Despite stating several times that he would not obey those conditions, [the man] was ordered released by the Court and taken by police to a motel,” MacDonald wrote in his report.
Later that night, around 7 p.m. the man’s wife returned home to find him sitting on her couch. According to the report, one of his eyes was “purple and bloody and he was bleeding from his elbow.”
He allegedly told her someone found him face-down in the road and drove him home.
Central Saanich Police returned to the residence and arrested the suspect again.
According to MacDonald, the second arrest was audio recorded.
“It is apparent that [the man] was frustrated and annoyed at the time, but there is no indication that any force was used against him, other than handcuffing him and placing him into a police vehicle,” the MacDonald wrote in the report.
When officers asked the man what happened to his eye, he responded that he falls a lot.
He was placed back in jail at 7:45 p.m. after declining medical treatment.
The IIOBC said video footage obtained from the cells show officers conducted wellness checks on the man every 15 to 20 minutes as per policy.
According to the report, the man can be seen moving around throughout the night on the cell bench, sleeping on one side or the other. He showed no signs of medical distress until 6:36 a.m. when he appeared to have a seizure, at which time the jail guard was temporarily out of the cellblock.
About two minutes later, the report said the man appeared to settle in an unnatural resting position. Seconds later, the guard returned to his desk and after seeing the man on the monitor, he went to physically check on the suspect.
Video shows two officers entering the cell in an attempt to wake the man.
While video footage was discontinued, audio of the incident recorded from another camera was still available—during this audio, an officer can be heard doing chest compressions, followed by the sound of an automatic defibrillator being brought to the cell and used.
Paramedics arrived at the detachment at 6:56 a.m. and transported the man to hospital.
It was determined he was suffering from cardiomyopathy and sustained a brain injury due to losing oxygen during a heart attack.
In conclusion, IIOBC ’s chief civilian director ruled that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in part of the jail guards or Central Saanich Police officers who dealt with the man.
“Cell checks were conducted regularly and in a manner closely approximating policy standards,” MacDonald wrote. “No blame can attach to an individual moving from his post occasionally to visit the washroom.”
The report went on to say the man’s medical distress was spotted very quickly after it became apparent and all appropriate efforts were made to help him.
Because of that, he wrote, the matter will not be forwarded to Crown for consideration of charges.
The man remains in hospital care to this day.
