Edmonton police officers did not cause the death of a 46-year-old man who had a heart attack in a police van, according to an ASIRT investigation.
The officers were performing the lawful execution of their duties, said Susan Hughson, executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.
The man was arrested on Oct. 25, 2015, after a disturbance near a senior’s complex in north Edmonton.
He was being held by members of the public after he allegedly tried to carjack a woman’s vehicle and damaged another, ASIRT said.
The man was taken to hospital, but was released back into police custody.
The next day the man was denied bail and sent to the remand centre. He was unco-operative and was placed on his back in the prisoner van, with his legs elevated and feet resting against the door. When the door closed, he kicked at the door and walls.
A few blocks later, officers found the man unresponsive and not breathing.
An autopsy determined the man died as a result of cardiac arrest.
Toxicology results found no alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription medications in his bloodstream.
ASIRT’s mandate is to investigate incidents involving police that result in serious injury or death, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.