SIU clears Ottawa officer in dying of 41-year-old man

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Ontario’s police watchdog company has cleared an Ottawa Police Service officer of wrongdoing within the dying of a 41-year-old man who was in “medical misery” after interacting with police in September.

Within the early morning of Sept. 12, cops went to an residence constructing on McEwen Avenue simply east of the Britannia Conservation Space, responding to a name a few bare man within the basement.

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A information launch from the Particular Investigations Unit on Wednesday mentioned the unidentified man “appeared confused, agitated and impaired” and “was unable to reply officers’ questions.” Officers then handcuffed the person, realized he was in medical misery and referred to as for an ambulance. Paramedics took the person to the hospital, the place he was pronounced lifeless.

Joseph Martino, director of the Particular Investigations Unit, concluded that, whereas the reason for the person’s dying had not but been decided, it was not attributable to the police officer’s conduct.

In response to the SIU report, safety digital camera video confirmed the person showing to be “confused, agitated, and impaired” as he paced up and down the hallway of the residence constructing and taking his garments off earlier than police arrived.

Ottawa police responded to a name of an “unknown bare man” within the constructing’s laundry room shortly after 5:30 a.m. Upon arrival, officers mentioned the person, who had attended a celebration within the constructing earlier, was “exhibiting signs of excited delirium.”

Police referred to as paramedics and handcuffed the person, Martino’s report mentioned.

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“By the point of the officers’ arrival within the stairwell, the complainant was sweating profusely and heat to the contact,” Martino wrote. “He was unable to reply their questions, however didn’t resist when the officers secured him in handcuffs behind the again.”

The person chatted with officers and was “calm and cooperative” whereas ready for the paramedics to reach, however his situation deteriorated, the report mentioned, and by about 5:48 a.m. “his respiratory was changing into extra laboured, his pallor was gray, and white foam was coming from his mouth.”

When paramedics arrived round 5:51 a.m., the person was led via the constructing foyer, the place he “grew to become limp, collapsed, and went very important indicators absent,” the report learn.

Paramedics positioned the person on his again and eliminated {the handcuffs} moments earlier than he misplaced his very important indicators, the report mentioned. Paramedics then utilized a resuscitation airbag and carried out CPR. The person was taken to Queensway-Carleton Hospital, the place he was pronounced lifeless shortly at 6:42 a.m.

The reason for dying is pending the outcomes of a toxicology evaluation, the report mentioned, however was “suspected of being drug toxicity.”

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The police watchdog discovered no cheap grounds to put felony expenses in opposition to the police officer.

“Whereas the choice to handcuff the complainant is topic to scrutiny, it didn’t depart markedly from an affordable customary of care,” Martino wrote. “On the one hand, securing the complainant’s arms behind his again might need made it more durable for him to breathe. However, the (officer’s) justification for doing so, specifically, to make sure the security of the officers and the complainant, was not with out benefit.”

The police watchdog interviewed 4 civilian witnesses, the topic officer and two different “witness officers” and reviewed their notes.

The SIU is an impartial authorities company that investigates the conduct of cops, particular constables with the Niagara Parks Fee and peace officers with the Legislative Protecting Service that will have resulted in dying, critical harm, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at an individual.

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