Edmonton police said an investigation by Alberta’s Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was underway, following a man’s death while in police custody Thursday night.
Police said on Thursday, at about 9:45 p.m., officers were called to a home in the area of 106 Street and 47 Avenue over reports of an aggressive man.
ASIRT said the man was related to the owner of the home, and was known to the person who called police.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man who was wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant for being unlawfully at large, the male also appeared to be under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, police said.
It’s believed he consumed a quantity of pills, and then threw the bottle they came in off the balcony of the home.
A short time later, he reportedly appeared to be in medical distress, and was put in the recovery position. Paramedics treated the male and took him to hospital, where he died.
As his death happened while he was in police custody, ASIRT has taken the lead on the investigation.
