(Calgary Herald) – A 49-year-old woman died while in RCMP custody in Grande Prairie, earlier this week.
Louize Findlay went into medical distress on July 6 after spending a night in custody for public intoxication, RCMP spokesman Sgt. Tim Taniguchi said.
She was taken to a Grande Prairie hospital and later transferred to hospital in Edmonton, where she died.
Taniguchi said Findlay died of natural causes, however, the medical examiner’s office said the cause of death is still under investigation.
There is nothing to suggest foul play and Findlay had underlying medical issues.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team will oversee the Grande Prairie RCMP’s investigation into the incident.
Taniguchi said it’s common practice to detain highly intoxicated people until they’re able to care for themselves. He said police make several assessments of an individual’s well-being before taking them into custody.
Police are then supposed to monitor the person’s condition on schedules ranging from every 15 minutes to once an hour. Taniguchi was not aware of how often the Grande Prairie detachment checks on detainees.
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