Man held at Winnipeg detox centre died after medical emergency, police say
Man in his 20s was detained for his own safety following group assault, police say
A man died following a medical emergency at a Winnipeg detoxification centre shortly after he was detained by police for his own safety on Friday, police say.
Officers responded to a report of a man being assaulted by a group of people on Mayfair Avenue shortly after 5 a.m. Friday, police said in a news release on Monday.
The attackers had left when officers arrived. The man, in his 20s, was medically cleared by paramedics and declined further police involvement in the assault investigation.
The man was detained by officers under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act, due to his level of intoxication and for his own safety, police said. He was taken to the detoxification centre at the Main Street Project, where he was medically cleared a second time and placed in lodging.
The man experienced a medical emergency about five hours later, shortly before 11 a.m., and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Winnipeg police did not name the man who died.
Manitoba's police watchdog has been notified of the man's death and has assumed responsibility for the investigation, police said.