Guelph mother launches complaint against police after son's in-custody death
A Guelph, Ont., mother whose son who died while in OPP custody last year has launched a complaint with Ontario's Law Enforcement Complaints Agency and says she needs more answers about the circumstances of his death.
Nathaniel Schofield, 36, died after being held at the Rockwood OPP detachment July 9 to July 10, 2024. He was pronounced dead at Guelph General Hospital at 11:20 a.m. on July 10, 2024.
A report from the province's Special Investigations Unit says Schofield died of a drug overdose and ruled there was "no basis for proceeding with criminal charges" against officers.
But Schofield's mother, Faye Dzikewich, says she's watched the video of her son in the Rockwood cell and she alleges in her complaint that errors were made in how his medical emergency was handled.
"I want justice for my son. He should not have died," Dzikewich told CBC News.
Schofield's death made headlines because Dzikewich waited in a Guelph courtroom for several hours for her son's appearance on July 10.
On June 12, Dzikewich filed a formal complaint with the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA) — an independent civilian oversight agency that handles all public complaints against the police.
In her complaint, Dzikewich questions how Schofield died of an overdose 14 hours after he had been taken into custody.
She also questioned why he was put in the recovery position in his cell.
"As a health-care worker myself, I know that you never put anyone in a recovery position if they are not breathing," she writes in her complaint.
The SIU's report said Schofield "appeared sweaty, cold and pale" around 4 a.m.
"Asked if he needed medical assistance, the complainant answered in the negative and explained he was experiencing withdrawal," the SIU report said.
He vomited at least twice before a "strange sound" was heard in his cell at 10:15 a.m. and he could be heard gasping for air, the SIU report said.
"A defibrillator was retrieved but was not used on the advice of the paramedic call centre as one of the officers believed he had felt a pulse. Two doses of nasal Narcan were administered," the report says.
Dzikewich alleges in her complaint that there was poor communication with paramedics and emergency dispatch, improper medical care, unnecessary delays in medical treatment, and a lack of communication with herself and Guelph courthouse officials.
The LECA website shows Dzikewich's complaint has been received and will be reviewed. Dzikewich said she was told complaints are usually processed within two months.
In a statement to CBC News, LECA confirmed the director has "received public complaints arising from the incident referenced" but "due to the confidentiality provision in the Community Safety and Policing Act, the director cannot provide any further details."
CBC News reached out to Wellington OPP for comment on Dzikewich's complaint but have not yet received a response.
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