Winnipeg news: Investigating deaths in custody requires a joint police and paramedic response

WINNIPEG –

A Manitoba judge is calling for the creation of a specialized team of police and paramedics to respond when people are in crisis.

The recommendation was made in an inquest report that looked at five men who died in Winnipeg police custody over a 12-month period in 2018 and 2019.

An investigation found that the men died while being held by police and waiting for medical attention.

The deaths were unrelated, but in each case the men were under the influence of drugs, were agitated and needed medical attention, which did not arrive in time.

Judge Lindy Choy calls the death tragic.

It recommends that an officer and a doctor respond to a call together when a person is in danger and may need medication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2024.