Sask. police watchdog clears 2 RCMP officers in 2024 Swift Current wellness check death

Saskatchewan's police oversight organization has cleared two RCMP officers in the death of a woman they arrested.

The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is the provincial civilian-led watchdog agency that investigates incidents involving police.

The new report looks at an incident that happened on May 5, 2024, when a 55-year-old woman died in Swift Current, about 230 kilometres west of Regina.

SIRT says that at about 11:06 a.m. CST, a family member of the 55-year-old asked for a welfare check because the woman was allegedly upset, in pain and couldn't be convinced to go to a hospital.

RCMP were also made aware of the women's history with substance abuse and talk of self-harm.

Two officers then went to the hotel where the woman was staying and reported seeing sores on her feet when speaking with her.

According to SIRT, an officer was able to convince the woman to go to a hospital and an ambulance was called.

At about 11:40 a.m. CST, two paramedics arrived and entered the room, but the woman's level of co-operation changed, per the report.

"While the EMS personnel were able to complete some checks on the affected person, she refused to allow others, became uncooperative, spoke of suicide, and stated that she wished she had died during an earlier incident with EMS," SIRT's report says.

The report says the officer believed he had formed ground to take the woman into custody under the Mental Health Services Act, but told the woman he preferred if she went to the hospital voluntarily.

"When the affected person swatted at the Subject Officer as he attempted to prevent her from lighting a cigarette during the examination, he placed her under arrest pursuant to The Mental Health Services Act."

The woman was arrested without resistance or use of force from the officers, according to the report.

SIRT says the woman kicked backward at an officer and hit them in the shin, but the officer didn't react and didn't use force.

The woman was put on a stretcher and moved into the ambulance while handcuffed.

While on the way to the Cypress Regional Hospital, the 55-year-old said her handcuffs were too tight. When the officer went to adjust the handcuffs, the woman went "limp" and into "medical distress," the report says.

Police removed the handcuffs and paramedics began providing care for the woman.

At about 11:58 a.m. CST, the ambulance arrived at the hospital. The woman was transferred to the care of medical staff and was declared dead by a doctor at about 12:26 p.m. CST.

SIRT concluded that the "arrest was both based on reasonable grounds, and was reasonably conducted" and there were no grounds to believe the RCMP officers committed any offences.

The autopsy found the woman died of a "cardiorespiratory arrest," with contributing factors like stress brought on by her detention.