Manitoba’s police watchdog investigates after man found unresponsive in holding room dies

Manitoba’s police watchdog — the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba — is investigating after a man arrested early Sunday morning was found unresponsive in a holding room, taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Winnipeg police said in a news release Sunday that officers arrested the man in the 100 block of King Edward Street East regarding an outstanding warrant just before 4 a.m.

The man was taken to downtown police headquarters around 4:23 a.m. and was medically cleared by an onsite central processing unit paramedic before being placed in a holding room, according to the release. 

The release said central processing unit members doing a scheduled check found the man unresponsive in the holding room around 7:30 a.m. An onsite paramedic provided emergency medical care to the man, before he was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. 

The IIU — which investigates all serious matters involving police in the province — has been notified and has taken over the investigation, police said in the news release.