Family urges coroner's office to launch formal inquest into Windsor, Ont., man's death

CBC

06-02-2025

The family of a Windsor man who collapsed shortly after being released from police headquarters on Oct. 29 is urging the coroner's office to launch a formal inquest into his death.
Colin Grey was detained by the Canada Border Security Agency (CBSA) at the Ambassador Bridge border crossing upon his return from an American Thanksgiving family gathering in Detroit. His detention was due to suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol
Grey, 63, was transferred to Windsor Police Services (WPS). He died just after being released from police custody on Nov. 29.
According to Grey's family, the Type 2 diabetic was exhibiting symptoms officers took for alcohol impairment but that his family says were due to low blood sugar. And, they say, law enforcement was told multiple times over Grey's six hours in custody that he was diabetic and needed help.
"They failed to ask a human being if he was okay — that's the first thing they should have done," Grey's wife, Rose, wrote in a news release on Thursday. "Instead, they accused him of driving while under the influence."
The family's call for an inquest was made in a letter sent to the coroner's office this week. They've also planned a news conference for Feb. 11 as part of their campaign to get answers
"It is difficult to talk about Colin's death because it is so fresh in our minds, but we know this is the best way to keep the pressure on authorities to give us answers. We want justice for my husband, and we will do everything in our power to get it for him," Rose said in the release.
'Far too many unanswered questions,' lawyer says
The family's lawyer, D. Joel Dick, said the family strongly believes that a coroner's inquest is the best vehicle to look at underlying public policy questions and to understand the interaction and information sharing practices between the CBSA and WPS.
"There are far too many unanswered questions. The answers the family and the public need clearly call out for an inquest," he said.
"The Grey family needs this information to help them find a sense of closure, and the public deserves to know if and how negligence by authorities may have contributed to this preventable death. A tragedy such as this should have never happened, but it would add insult to injury if lessons are not learned from it."