20-05-2025
Watchdog clears Regina police of wrongdoing in 2023 death in custody
Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has concluded that there is no grounds to believe any police officer committed an offence in relation to the 2023 death of a man in police custody.
That finding was made public with the release of a report dated May 14, 2025.
The report from the province's police oversight body states that on Aug. 21, 2023, a 23-year-old man (unnamed in the report) turned himself in to Regina Police Service (RPS) headquarters in relation to outstanding warrants.
He was taken into custody and found unresponsive in his cell around 3:45 a.m. the following day. First aid was provided and he was subsequently taken to the Regina General Hospital where he was declared deceased at approximately 4:48 p.m., according to the report.
The report states 13 RPS members were considered witnesses and were either interviewed or provided their notes. Eleven civilians were also interviewed, including 'civilian detention staff, members of EMS and the Regina Fire Department, as well as an occupant of a neighboring cell within the RPS detention area,' the document says.
Five 'packages' were removed from the man's body while in hospital and a sixth was removed during autopsy, according to the report, which notes the packages suitable for testing revealed the contents to be methamphetamine and morphine.
'The autopsy and toxicology testing conducted following the affected person's death determined that he died as a result of acute methamphetamine toxicity,' the report states, later asserting it was 'highly likely' the person turned himself in to attempt to smuggle the drugs into a correctional facility.
Nonetheless police had a duty to care for him and reasonably address medical needs, the report notes. Cell checks were done at 'regular and reasonable intervals,' the report goes on to say but adds this was done without accurate information about the person's condition.
'Even when symptoms of the affected person's medical condition had begun to present, and were ultimately diagnosed as withdrawal symptoms, the affected person did not provide accurate information or correct the diagnosis.'
When the man's condition worsened, medical treatment commenced, the report states.
'It is clearly established that no use of force by police occurred at any point during the affected person's arrest or detention,' reads the report.
'When considering the information available to detention staff, both provided by the affected person on his entry into custody and through their own observations, both the recognition of the affected person's medical condition and later attempted treatment of that condition were reasonable.'
The report states that after a review of the evidence relating to the incident, no charges will be laid.
bharder@
Police watchdog investigating Regina in-custody death
A look back at police watchdog's first year operating in Saskatchewan
The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
