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Saskatchewan RCMP team in Yellowknife to investigate death in police custody
The man appeared to be impaired when he was arrested, and was cleared for incarceration by EMS. He was later found unresponsive in his cell
A team of RCMP investigators from Saskatchewan have arrived in Yellowknife to investigate the death of a man in police custody.
Around 6:50am on March 19th, Yellowknife officers were called out to the Explorer Hotel to respond to reports of a man uttering threats, stated an RCMP release.
When they arrived, they found the suspect, a 35-year-old man from Nunavut, had assaulted a woman, and was showing signs of impairment.
The man was arrested without incident and taken to the Yellowknife police station.
He was assessed by Emergency Medical Services and approved for incarceration.
Just a few hours later, around 9:30 am, the man was found unresponsive in his cell.
CPR was attempted, and EMS arrived to transport the man to Stanton Hospital, where he was then declared deceased.
On March 23rd, the NWT Coroner Service identified the deceased as George Angottitauruq, of Gjoa Haven.
When dealing with a death that occurs in police custody, an outside agency is called in to investigate.
In this case, the matter is being handled by a team of investigators from Saskatchewan RCMP’s Serious Crimes Unit.
These investigators will review police actions throughout this incident, including the events leading up to and during the man’s arrest and detention, in collaboration with the NWT Office of the Chief Coroner.
This investigation is still in its early stages, and further information will be withheld until the review is concluded.
UPDATE: On March 23rd.
